Kallen of the Resurrection
by GeneralAmpersand
Summary: One year after the events of R2, Kallen has been slowly falling apart, her life in horrible shambles. After hearing of a certain person, she makes it a goal to search for him, discovering a conspiracy that is hiding in the time of peace.
1. Turn 1: Affirmative Action

_**Hey My first CG story. Nothing much to say, except enjoy. **

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"Why are these feelings still lingering around me? I… I thought that… I thought I knew that I understood. But, this familiar sensation; what… I realize what this is; I've felt it before, still. I, I just don't know."

A small horse-drawn cart lazed along a small dirt road, one seldom traveled and generally off the beaten path that was the highway. Cars, along with many other hapless vehicles, traveled these roads, only a few hundred miles away from their location. Pasture hills rolled around them for miles, a verdant sea of green sweltering up the entire horizon, almost overwhelming the sense of sight. A young lass, her apparent age no older than that of a girl around sixteen, sat atop the cart, a subtle smile crossed her fragile lips, almost enticed by the optimistic landscape, the weather helping her mood, as well. Her light emerald hair meshed in with the surrounding greenery, only the dark brown wood and calm beige hay setting off a different color opinion. There was a benign breeze, only playfully tossing the long strands of hair, the follicles wrapping around her, running down the outlandish outfit, one that was usually alien for a girl of her standards. It was an impoverished outfit, resembling that of someone who either lived on the streets or in a dilapidated house among others. Brushing the teasing hair, the girl turned to the front of the cart, a navy blue cap visible, nothing more. It sat upon the head of the driver, another young male, a certain individual who was well acquainted with the area. His short hair kept to his head, the hat threatening to blow off his head. He held it with one hand, the other holding the reigns of the horses.

"So", she started, her the voice different from the personality that her appearance exuded. Not only was it different, it had an enigmatic charm that wafted around it, almost as if inviting a certain treachery, or trickery. Neither could have denied such involvements. "Have you been wrapped up in thought? You've very quiet this day. I'm not use to such things."

"Really?" His voice was one of dignity, of a power that enforced and pressed him. Regal blood flowed through his veins, that being one of the first evident qualities that someone could distinguish from him. Other than that, his appearance matched that of her's, both traveling to be out of sight, their quite life their only life.

"Yes. I'm quite use to you gallivanting your voice throughout the air, filling my ears with such fancies and whatnot. I more than know that you enjoy hearing yourself speak, rather than hearing others." He sneered as he spoke, his nose craning slightly above where he usually held it. It was in good fun, the action false rather than serious.

"But, I would rather listen to myself think; my voice doesn't have that luster that my thoughts do. Or, would you prefer that I speak? Is my voice something of a comfort item for you, Cecilia?"

"No, actually." It was a flat, dead tone. This type of conversation was one where she hated speaking. However, they already had spent a year together, eloping throughout Japan, spend more than quality time together. Even before the _event _last year, they had disclosed feelings, but he always had another on the mind. As always, it had dropped and died, killing his little game. "Isn't that a little childish?"

"I wouldn't think so. You are the one who constantly avoids answering, backing the conversation away like a coy school girl."

"It's funny that you would get yourself this worked up. You can't let such a thing slid, now, can you?"

"I could bother you again in a similar fashion."

"And my answer AGAIN: No." The girl, her face misleading, craned an eye up, throwing a suspicious look at the driver, his eye, an interesting phenomenon about it, looking out of the corner to catch her gaze.

"Of course not. How foolish of me." He wasn't naïve; the boy could easily read the fights and understood when to toss them away.

"I thought as much." Revealing his full face, he wore an intense smile, nearly laughing as she spoke. At this, she rolled her eyes, averting her face so she wouldn't be caught up in his small games. "Through Hell and whatnot and you're still the same. You haven't changed one little bit, but I doubt I should be this surprised. You're the same as when I met you, that's how you're always going to be."

"So, Elysium fields should have changed me?"

"They hardly even shook you."

"I am more that a lesser man, more than the type of man that my father once was. I can laugh in such faces, not cowering away like a pathetic pawn."

"Even your monologues haven't changed."

"Oh, that's hilarious. Besides, I do believe that I have changed, if only ever so subtly, enough to throw you off."

"I have noticed that your outlook on the world, nay on life is different. Could that be what you are speaking of?"

"It might."

"But, you still give those superior speeches, yet they are all lies. It almost sad how obvious it is. And, by the way, I was speaking of your personality, not your mindset or outlook."

"I understand that you were." He tilted the cap and his laughter, one of a madman, yet with a gentle tinge, filled the void air, tensing up all that surrounded them. "I'm sorry. I forgot that you witches could see into another man's soul."

"But it is you, the Devil's son that takes and possesses that same soul, converting it into whatever warped thought that passes through your fancy. Is that not correct or…?"

"That's where I exhibit change of all things." He spoke with a solemn tone, almost as if he were speaking with the entire amount of truth that his incorrigible being would allow. It muttered in a different light, white wings surrounding instead of the black.

"You speak without jesting. Hmm…"

"You shall lay witness and realize the truth behind that statement. Oh, it will surprise you, no doubt."

"And I shall be driven insane by such an act." He only chuckled at this, the cart speeding up, the faster, albeit cautious pace rocking the wooden device, the squeaky boards bouncing off of each other. A small, light cherry pink crane fluttered off the rampant piles of hay, fluttering away in the breeze, falling behind as it succumbed to the massive dust cloud that they were causing, the origami bird out of sight as they pressed on. And almost as soon as they had appeared, they were gone, only slight doubts on the horizon, an insignificant speck that crossed black lines. It flitted back and forth, disappearing slowly. They wouldn't be gone long, and the world would understand they were there.

* * *

Ashford hadn't changed much in the year since the spectacular rise, and decisive fall, of the late Britannian emperor, Lelouch vi Britannia, 17th prince to the throne. Sure, the world fell into a time of tranquility, the land growing a common ground as it strove to rebuild and re-create one of just rule. Even the megalomaniacal country itself had attributed to it, allocating funds to resource the world, building up much of the destruction it had been responsible for. Major standing armies were abolished, large unions of people replacing the weapons and fighting with diplomacy and peace talks. However, the world was not all the same as it had once been, with much of Japan, having gotten its name back, suffering behind closed doors. Ashford Academy, a noble school, also suffered for what had happened. Most of the school had lost its once valuable spirit, a lethargic wave sweeping throughout the complex. Only a handful of those who had lived through both tumultuous years remained, the others lost in time, dead or gone; on a positive note, Villette and Ohgi had both returned, the married couple both full-time teachers at the school. Ohgi had applied, with his wife backing his credentials. Before long, he had become one of the most respected teachers, an anthropology one at that. Villette continued her job as the gym teachers, among other things. But, the school still felt empty.

Rivalz parked the small motorcycle in one of the empty parking spaces, the side-car removed ages ago. His pace was relaxed and slow, him not bothering to take his helmet off until the last possible moment. Placing it on the handlebars, he locked it in place and slipped the chrome key in his pocket. He didn't bother changing the pace, although the first period bell was about to chime. Kallen watched from afar, his droopy face depressing amidst all the tired, yet happy others. The school, the prideful academy, had lost much in the past year. Rivalz was one of the most obvious victims.

Within a simple month, he had lost everything precious to him, leaving nothing but an empty meeting room, no one waiting for his return. Milly had graduated, a shattering goodbye that he had fought to accept, succeeding for the most part. However, before that, he had lost Shirley, a sign of things to come. Rolo was next. After, Lelouch fell victim to death, his crime paid for on live, international T.V., Rivalz started to lose it. Gino left the school, Suzaku deciding to base his life around the living nobility, taking up the grand façade of Zero in a time of hardship. He and Kallen were hardly friends, the furthest away compared to the rest of the student council group that they were all once. That left him with nobody, a lonely soul, barely acquainted with any other souls at the school. She turned away, his strife giving rise to those that beleaguered her soul.

A few others, just basic acquaintances and strangers were also hurt, a veritable list that wafted around her, flaunting the depression that it caused. Even larger was the list of those who had died in the strife, a single name appearing at the top every time she dared to think, nay reminisce about such thoughts. Shaking her head, the young red-head moved into the massive hallway, the late bell ringing, the sound reverberating around the luxurious building. A maze of staircases and countless other halls lead on, minutes away from her next class. Guren II's activation key swung from her neck, the soft necklace lanyard swaying across her soft skin, the imprint of it evident. She never took the thing off, a permanent reminder of what had happened and what she had done. It bounced against her chest as she rose up another flight of the beautiful white stairs. Her class appeared in her view, the door closed.

Kallen Stadtfeld was a different person than the timid girl who the denizens of the academy were use to knowing. She, finally, had decided to be herself, taking up all her preferred styles, even using her athletic prowess to excess in more than just the academic front. Hiding away nothing, she was able to live with little regret, letting her mind wander to more important things. Nothing would bring her down; she was at her peak, both physically and mentally, allowing her to effortlessly succeed. Even her hair was done in the preferred style, the one she had for when she was under a separatist group, the Black Knights. It was a symbol of her rank, her past life. No students that she was friends with knew that she was once an enemy of the largest empire, very few people in the world remembering such events that shook the world. Even her old comrades had started to forget about it, them busy with the hassle of regular-day life, the new prospects of the everyman too enticing for any of them to let go. Japan's freedom fighters, her brothers-in-arms, slowly faded away, only a far-fetched memory that was a small chapter in history books, almost a myth or legend to some. They looked at it from every angle, inspecting what had happened and taking apart the actions of many involved, witnessing the fall and rise of many different lives.

Arriving late in class, she took her respective seat, the furthest away from the board, secluding herself away from the other students in which she took very little, if any, interest in. They weren't her real friends, nor did they understand her the way that those close to her ever could. Before her sat a girl, only a few months younger than herself. She wore the traditional school outfit, her long flowing orange hair similar to an old friend.

Shirley was one of the saddest parts of the entire conflict, leading her to lose faith in more than one person. Officially, it was reported that the young girl had taken her father's pistol, one that was often kept as a memorial to the deceased man, and shot herself in one of Tokyo's commercial districts, two of her friends accompanying her that very day. But, Suzaku had come to her with suspicions that Lelouch had killed her, a lie, or so she thought at first. As time continued, she slowly realized that it could have been, but never confronted him on it, the memory a burden upon both. The school board, having paid for the funeral and other costs, decided to erect a memorial for her, Milly's idea at the time. It would be more than just her, though. It was a moving statement against everything that the war stood for, calling for peace because of those lost. It was heart wrenching, almost killing her inside every time she threw her look upon it. They were all reminders that kept the thought of grievance, progressing sadness to future generations that held the same fate.

More or less, Shirley was a rival of sort to Kallen, the girl usurping every chance she had to display any emotion in the school. Kallen, at times, even condemned the girl, hating every move she mad with her delicate fingers. Names were called behind backs, the words etching in her mind as both spoke. However, the façade never fell apart, both being more than kind to the respective other's face. Overall, Kallen realized that she disliked the girl because of a simple emotion: Jealousy. She was jealous of almost everything about Shirley; she didn't have to fight in the conflict, her safety nothing to worry about day to day. Her affection, no obsession to Lelouch made it even worse.

_"No. Enough. That's not the road I want to see myself fall down. Not after all that I've gone through." _It was a shelter measure that would protect her from any self-harm, the first thing that she could fly off to. Class was the same, her spinning head not making the teacher's writing any better than it could be. One hand automatically reached up for the small key, a security type of cushion for her, calming and soothing her when she clutched the small device. Room 302, her homeroom, was a sterile environment, only serving as an educational purpose, no frills or excitement for any of them. But, her senses would come together, only jumbling every external stimulus that she heard. _"Advanced World History? What a joke…" _Even the thoughts shook her, though. She had grown tremendously fragile in the past year.

The day continued as it normally would, her mind distracted from thoughts of displeasure and depression, the crushing reality threatening her with subtle notions and nuances. A small mechanical pencil, an emblem applied as the logo, twirled in her hand, the only worldly device keeping her intact. Finally, the release bell rang, a cacophony of student buzzing through the halls, all leaving en masse. Time was basically non-existent to her.

"Kallen", said a girl, the orange-hair one from before. They had both befriended each other, Kallen doing it more out of pity towards her own self. She only wanted to be forgiven by her friends. "What's up? You seem a little out of it."

"Maybe. I haven't gotten enough sleep in the past few days. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it." She pushed her notebooks into the small briefcase that each girl and guy carried, the bulging pack heavier that it implied. "You wanna run by that new bistro or café or whatever they just opened? I heard it has really delicious Japanese cuisine, something traditional or something."

"Sorry", she said, a wry smile crossing her face. It hurt to even manage something that felt abstractly happy. "Today's just not the best day. How about a rain check and I'll get back to you with a better date?"

"Fine with me. I'll talk to you later, then."

"Yeah…" She turned, her smile still plaster across her face. No one could possibly know what she was feeling. It was her personal Hell, a torturous place that she had personally condemned herself into. Why she had gotten friends with the other girl, she didn't know. It was against what she had set herself to do.

As the time of rebirth started, she had and still was trying to break away from all else that lived within her small world, leaving a bitter paper trail she could shatter without bothering to look back. Alienating herself was easy, her outward personality coarse and harsh, only the most dedicated able to stand her presence for a long period of time. This, of course, was a horrible porcelain visage. Still, it didn't work out, her loneliness leading to a massive bout with depression, something she was acquainted with in this age. Then, out of nowhere, her mother died, due to old complications that arose when she was addicted to Refrain, her addiction dying out a year before. Her mind finally snapped: that was about four months ago. That same month, she decided to remedy her own pain, throwing herself from the rebuilt Babel Tower 2, a monolith that watched the clouds. As she fell, her face soaring past the reflective glass panes, she slowly looked at herself, the despotic mental condition absorbing all of her. Haggard and cold, she nearly snapped out of it, her actions heavily regrettable. Death fell around her, taking and placing its skeletal wrist on her shoulder. But, someone saved her, someone, a rival, from her past.

Kallen got up, packing her things away as the radiating sunset shone brightly against her face, the raucous wind picking up. As she entered the empty halls, something felt amiss, almost as if there was the faint presence of another watching her. Dark shadows loomed over every other corner, blocking out sources of light that use to perforate the spaces. It gave the school an overt sinister look. A group of students, odd that they were here after hours, seem to be making a horrid ruckus, the squawking sound of one's strife filling the halls. It was hollow, almost surreal and it sent a chill down her back. To add to the effect, the sunlight started dissipating, clouds rolling in to fill the area of the sun, which was setting rapidly.

Another automatic reaction occurred: she grabbed the small pink bill fold that she always kept on her, a small button press revealing the thick, yet hidden blade that often found itself protecting her from the worst situations. At first, after the ordeals, she was apprehensive about brandishing such a weapon, especially considering the era of peace the world was entering. Nonetheless, reality overcame the foolish thoughts, her slipping the "wallet" into one of her pockets, a constant reminder of the danger that could face her any second of any day. Adamant about herself, it was one of the first thing that she would constantly bring herself to do every other day.

Holding the blade at an anchored angle, she rose it up above her head, craning it downwards, ready to strike. Rounding the corner, she saw three different figures, all obviously male. They wore different outfits than the usual school ones, dark black suits that were adorned with a few different emblems. It was strangely proverbial.

"Huh", questioned one, evidently the most eloquent of the group. She then noticed the crumpled figure on the floor, a small splotch of blood coating the wall. It reflected the little light that remained, eerie considering how long it was since she last saw the sanguine liquid.

"Who are you?" Their voices all sounded the same, a tough voice that emanated evil and impudence.

"Look. It's just a school girl. Ha."

"Just a bitch in the wrong place. Oh, and lookit. She wants to play with us. How about that, guys?" The all were identical, from their actions to their mannerisms.

"Don't worry, girl. We'll treat you just nice." He cracked his knuckles, the sickening sound of bones snapping ever-so-slightly.

"I'd love to see you try", she shouted, jumping into the soon-to-be fray. Flipping in the air, she landed before one of the men, her back to his chest. First, she delivered a steel elbow directly into his chest, back-handing him with a quick motion. Facing him, she kick him, launching herself away from the beast; she landed on one hand, spinning and bring the man into the ground. Her knife shot out, metaphorically lightning as it rested above his face. "Who's next", she asked, her tone as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Try this", screamed the middle one, his hands both filled with blunt objects. Easily than the first, she dove at him legs first, wrapping her slender legs around his waist. Grappling with the larger man, she threw herself backwards, sending the man flying. He flew through a window, crashing to the ground that held the school three stories below. She looked back at the remaining man who was helping his fallen comrade get up. Eyebrow raised, the both retreated, leaving her alone in the hall, the body of some unlucky man lying near her. The odd presence resumed it watch, her pivoting on a small heel to face her opposite direction. Yet, not another soul lingered around the building. At her feet, a small silver pin sat. It was a logo that resembled something from her sketchy past.

"…" She couldn't tell if it were the wind speaking to her or something more foreboding.

"Wait…", and then she finally understood what she was looking at. It was one of Zero's personal Knight Pinions, one of the rare metals that he awarded only a select few individuals. In actuality, she was the only person ever awarded such an award. It was exactly the same as the one she owned.

Footsteps were heard approaching the crime scene from down the hallway, a few teachers remaining in the building to watch for intruders. Perhaps it was one of the teachers she felt was watching her, but even she doubted this theory. Weighting her options, Kallen took a step away from the body, dashing down the direction the footsteps were opposing. She kept running, hardly bothering to look behind her to see if any had witness her suspiciously running from something or another. The running continued until she reached the large downtown home she lived in, the entire home her's and her's alone. Gated, she entered, locking the outdoor gates with a small key that she also kept on her person. Then she entered the large building, a grand façade welcoming her. Her room was on the first floor, her barely making an effort to find the large bedroom fit for royalty.

As usual, she was the only person in the building, but she never expected nor anticipated that anyone would ever visit her. All the adults she grew up with were dead, leaving nothing to work with. Nevertheless, the loneliness made her think of her mother, the woman who had garnered such age, although she was only a young woman herself. The drug's side-effects had been merciless, causing many different ailments for her. She had moved into the hospital, the hygienic, barren complex welcoming her more than the desolate home that only spooked her. Confined to a small bed, she sat in a chair, watching her mother slowly pass on with each day that followed. First, she lost the ability to walk, followed by the ability to move or even care for herself. Attendants rushed in and out, a new one every day to help her. None of them cared for the teenager, leaving her to speak with the comatose mother. Almost as if she were taking the drug itself, she fell back into her old memories, rising into delusion and delirium, speaking of nonsense and the old days. Every time she spoke, Kallen couldn't help but cry, the dying woman oblivious to her daughter that watched her every chance she had. For mercy sake, her mother died a day later, passing softly in her sleep. After she was dead, they had check over her body, studying the overall effect it had had over its course of time. She basically had no brain, the condition deteriorating it into a worthless pile of dust. It was all another memory that she wished to forget.

Tossing the small bag into the corner of her room, she slipped into something that was much softer than her school clothes. It was a Saturday today, them having tomorrow off for some reason. The year round school was often found taking many different holidays, the breaks found beneficial to the students.

"Shower", she mumbled, moving like a corpse towards the shower that was adjoined to her room. In the large bathroom, she slipped everything off, turning the shower on. Most students lived on campus, but she had realized that it was too much of a distraction. More than awkward, she was less comfortable there as well. When her mother begged her to move back in, secretly, she was overjoyed. And now, it was all hers. The shower ran cold for a minute, the hot water slowly building up. She jumped out, feeling it with her hand before getting back into the relaxing rain. With the fan off, a thick steam started rising up, the mirror clouding up with haste. She placed her head against the wall, letting the water run down her chest and back, the liquid tickling her as it did. She loved the shower, it being one of her most favorite places to retreat back into. Hours upon hours she could stay in such a place. Humidity and dampness were both her friend, having grown up in both central and southern Japan all her life.

After the shower, she got out, wrapping a large towel around her voluptuous body, another going around her head. She moved into her room, slipping on some frilly undergarments that she found in a dresser. Her closet was open, a small black outfit hanging on a coat hanger; it was the first Black Knight suit that she wore, neatly separate from the others she had. Sighing, she sat down on the futon that she had. Across for the bed spread was a small vanity mirror and desk, a board near it where many different pictures once resided. All were of her friends, those from her past and those she still had. They disgusted her, only leveling out the thought that Kallen's social life had dwindled into nothing, a drop of water evaporating in a lonely desert. Only two photos remained: the first was one of the boys she loved, the one she would have done anything for at a time. Now, he was only a memory, a wish that she had to fulfill, a memory that she had to find. She couldn't even bring herself to look at the other one, it more a picture for her memory than that of a friend. It was the same picture she was given for an assassination that had stopped itself, the end result someone's life. But the slender, handsome boy, his entire outfit black, his hair the same jet, smiled at her. There was another picture she had to compare this one to. Fetching it, she held them next to each other, one the school boy, the other the emperor, but Zero's emperor, the late emperor. She had a third picture, the most tragic of the three. Zero's picture, the mask removed from his charismatic head, was hidden away in a drawer, a picture that she would also keep forever, yet one that she couldn't look at, due to the fact that he betrayed and broke her fragile heart. It would join the one up on the wall, both falling into oblivion.

"Lelouch." The word was different, almost as if spoken in an entirely different language than the one she spoke. They would all remember that day he joined them, if it was the only thing they would remember. He gave them hope, let them live out victory. He gave the impression that he cared for the group; Lelouch did care for the group. He acted the tyrant, calling his members' insignificant pawns in a bigger scheme, sacrificing them for his greater good. However, it was all false. He cared for them all, not wanting to truly use and trick them. It only turned that way, him playing his part perfectly until the final act. She didn't want him dead; protecting him after his identity was public knowledge. She hoped to sway him with their conversation, displaying her true feelings, with reciprocation. A tear fell from his cheek as she left him, one falling from hers too. Serving only to buffer the two further away, they led life away from each other, becoming only enemies that fought to the bitter end, and oh, how the end was bitter. And, she hated herself for what had transpired.

The only one left that would even relate to her was her worst enemy, the person she hated the most in the world: Suzaku Kururugi. Just hearing his name made her face tighten up, clenching her fist into a ball. Appropriately, it was he who killed him, coming up to her in Zero's outfit. He explained all that had happened, a permanent frown emblazoned upon his face. It would serve his punishment, Lelouch having fulfilled his own. She nearly killed him on their rendezvous, a handgun pointed at his head the entire time. It was what he said, what he was guilty that changed her mind.

"Zero's Requiem."

"What?"

"Everything. All that you know has been a lie, a set-up plan to bring about the time of peace and nullify the damage that he has done. He's a selfish bastard, having me kill him on national television… All for the sake of his ego."

"Why? Why would he go through all this trouble just to destroy himself?"

He looked her in the eye, his conversation more than enigmatic. "Sins." He took a breath and turned away from her, his outfit of Zero's gleaming in the sun. "He was the one who destroyed the old world. He is the one who built this one anew." Before letting her respond, he walked away, the chaos of the day still high in the air. The thought faded, almost as if she were summoning an old film. Discarding it, she laid down upon the bed, not bothering to get underneath the covers that were heaped near the futon. Slumber snuck up on her that day, the same as it was doing now. Sleep encumbered her, taking her breath as it flooded her into the depths of her own psyche. Kallen was afraid.

* * *

**Well, there's chapter one. Tell me what you think, please. Also, i apologize in advance for making Kallen a little too emo, but it's important for parts of the story. Anyway, thanks again. -AMP**


	2. Turn 2: Dwelling Nightmares

**Hey, Chapter 2 is up. I know i heard a few people talk about the vocabulary and sentence length, and for that i apologize. Further more, i would like to say that i "attempted" to tone it down; however, i, like Jose Saramago, tend to have overelaborate sentences and the length does draw on. Still, please, i understand your concern, but i might have a little trouble losing that specific aspect. To all those who are put off by this, i deeply apologize. Aside from that, i would also like to state that this is another chapter where Kallen is still kinda outta it. BUT, don't worry. These initial two chapters are just introducing the plot and different sub-plots and hidden contexts. Please, if you will just bear with me for this one... you know. ANYWAY, before this is tending to drone, i would like to introduce KotR, Ch. 2. THanKs. (P.S. I bet you could catagorize these chapters in the Angst or Hurt areas of the genre... Oh well.)**

* * *

Kallen didn't dream at first, her compacted mind overfilled with thoughts that held every possible notion or action she could dare to fathom. Name became mixed up, a giant blur slurring together the events over the last days. She wandered through the mist, invisible walls surrounding her on every side. Above her, someone screamed, filling the air with thousands of more of them. All were harsh, piercing her eardrum with miniature needles, each one driving further than the last.

"Get out, get out!" Both hands clamped over her ears, the muted sounds growing to match what they once were. But, the voices stopped, an unseen figure hushing them with a quick wave of the hand. Air started rushing in, her being blown in all directions. Colors started joining her, first dark blacks dripping down, a viscous liquid that oozed. Odd shades of red followed, the different paints layering out. Kallen blinked, time slowly moving along with the subtle motion. As it regained, doors started falling out of the sky, slamming into the ground with a thunderous, repetitive sound. More stood before her, the oak entryways closing in as the colors started cycling through every known color. They opened and shut, more whispers speaking to her; before the girl, the directly middle door opened up, a dark hallway continuing on. She moved down it automatically, the door shutting behind her. Calamity started to wither out, the only remaining sounds the buzz and flicker of the overhead fluorescent lights. It kept going on, her head slowly starting to clear up. The dream became lucid, her full conscious thoughts leading her further into the unknown past.

As the hallway ended, it leveled out into a dilapidated ghetto, one of the ones that all of the "Eleven's" were assigned. It was anything but hospitable. Dead bodies were lying in every other street, a rusty weapon haphazardly tossed, the used cartridges scattered in the wind. However, it was devoid of all life. No birds flapped their black wings, squawking at the soldiers who fired mindlessly at them. She moved down on of the alleys behind a destroyed building, a small newspaper fluttering in the absence of wind. One hand brushed up against the wall, the other holding against her chest. She didn't breathe, there being no air to breathe in. It felt unnatural, only serving to pressure her further into the dream.

Kallen moved slowly into an open area, large chain-link fences surrounding her. Hands reached out, the voices of the dead calling out to her. Visible through the metal mesh working were faces that she had known, bloodied faces fraught with looks of horror, looks of deception, but not directly intended towards her. More troops filled the spaces behind her, slowly throwing new magazines into their rifles. Leveling them to their bodies, the corpses shuffled backwards, their voices silencing as gunshots took their place. And then, the scene replayed, the sounds growing fiercer as it continued on. Slowly, not prying her eyes away from the horrific past that she personally went through, the old displays of violence laced with parts of her past. Esoteric, it came at her in fragmented bits, displaying different pieces of her past. A hand fell upon her shoulder, surprising her. She turned around, her face falling apart at the sight of who stood there: it was Naoto, her deceased older brother Naoto Kouzuki.

"Naoto…" He mouthed words at her, his face blank, the pupils missing from her eyes. He wore an old military uniform, different patched sewn on around the collar, his resistance cell's emblem drawn on the back. Five bloodied holes stood out, the monochrome figure bleeding profusely, the sanguine liquid pooling up on the ground. "Naoto, answer me. Please." She fell to his feet, tugging at the clothes with ripped away with easy, disintegrating into small piles of debris, falling through her hands. But before he faded away, leaving all traces of life, he pointed away, a small alleyway open up, the urban area becoming enveloped in a battlefield that succumbed both her brother and her sight. Again, she screamed at it, cursing the pain, cursing herself for machinating such monstrosities. A new area absorbed her into a different scene, a different play casing her as a spectator, only situated to watch past events unfold, her being completely unable to even mutter change into them.

Footsteps were heard from each direction, the soft clopping of high heels and flat-heeled shoes surrounding her. She was in a large building, the floor indifferent from the last few that passed below her. Nobody stood appeared near her, a bustle below the building as a crowd dithered around, doing particularly nothing. The plaza was elevated high above the main portion of the city, a few different rails racing through out Tokyo, their high speed shaking the thick foundation beams that held the raised platform in place. She moved to one of the railings, wiping a tear that lingered around her eye. Out near the edge, a scenic park displaying the city's proper, a few different couples smiling at each other as they stared off into space. On the other hand, there were three people all standing in a close circle, their outfits familiar to her. Suddenly, the longer-haired of the three pushed past the other two, running to the edge of the platform. With an awkward motion, she hobbled up on to the ledge, leaning her body over as she shouted at the other two.

"That's…Shirley!" Kallen moved over to a better view, straining her eyes to get a better view upon the situation. Her protective instincts kicked in, the red-head running to the stairs to confront the group. Upon reaching the stairs, an invisible force pushed her back, the word "watch" ingraining its way into her skull. It was a small pain, half of a headache throbbing on the left vein. The outlook reset itself, her being placed back near the railing, only able to watch what would happen.

Shirley, a panicked look plastered on her face, slipped, Kallen yelling into the air as she started to plummet into the cold air. One of the other figures dove after her, grabbing her hand, suspending the girl hundreds of feet into the air. She scratched at his hand, yelling for him to let her go. A tear fell from him, the other figure holding him by his leg. All were exchanging words, the situations quickly growing into something more sinister. Kallen closed her eyes, missing them all be pulled into safety; yet something happened. Once up on land, the black hair figure looked up at her and smiled. Then, he turned to Shirley and pushed her off the ledge, watching her fall, the girl's screams the only audible sound.

"Can you believe what you don't know is the truth?" The voice was a neutral voice, deep yet soft. It was a paradox, soothing and instilling fear into her. "Can you keep searching through what is the thick fog of lies, all for the sake of another?"

"I…I don't know."

"Why would you force yourself to do what you could hate? To push away from everything else and offer yourself up in an insignificant pattern of insecurity?"

"But, how do you know that it I would hate it, that I am…insecure?"

"Your entire visage reads it aloud, telling me what you could never possibly tell me yourself. Still, you refuse to realize and see what you are speaking off. I will let you search further into the depths of truth…" The voice faded away, Shirley's screaming disappearing along with it. Only a room filled with a thick fog, a heavy blanket depressing and compressing her. It was hard to focus, hard to see. The dry air, deceiving what would usually be considered humid, made it hard to concentrate. Figures stood in the distance, waving and making wild motions that were beyond what would have been considered normal. She coughed, sputtering the hot air outward. Her eyes regained attentiveness, the room returning to its regular condition. It was the same type of room as she was previously situated in. All the figures were only silhouettes, a thick outline surrounding their distinct frames.

"Excuse me", she softly called, hoping for one to turn to her, to realize that she was there with them. They glanced at her but saw nothing, the girl calling out with a shout, the words falling again on deaf ears. Another joined the group, standing barely on the outskirts of the other two. He was smaller than the other two, one lying on the ground before the tallest; it held an odd shape in its hand, the smell of acrid gunpowder hanging in the air. More physical traits fell into the characters, their looks gaining a human quality. It was… Lelouch, holding a small handgun above the body of Shirley, the girl who had just been pushed to her death, pushed by the same teenager who stood before her; they all formed a perfect macabre painting, both smiling all whilst Kallen tried to interpret the situation, moving forward for a front row seat.

Blood was everywhere, leaving large trails from every direction, as if her body had been pulled from one of the corners of the room. It stained the beige school uniform, a few holes perforating through her delicate skin. The bullet had been lodged into the ground behind her, splintering off into many different fragments that entered through the back of her skin. More blood joined the large pool, the girl obviously dying as they all spoke. Two empty bullet casings halted in the air, smoke constantly wafting from the hot tips, a few drops of blood splattered in the air around them.

"Can you find the truth lost within these lies?" It was a whisper, almost as if the young man before her had said it.

"…" She looked over them all. Lelouch's face was filled with both rage and happiness, one of his eyes active with his Geass. Over and over, he called upon the power, the small "v" shooting out at the dying girl. But, no matter how many were summon, it was ineffective, only serving to discolor her eyes. Shirley smiled, looking only at the young boy devoting his energy to her. Behind both, the last remaining shadow stood over them all, him slowly moving to show his despicable face. However, with a flash of life, Lelouch was shooting the girl on the ground, laughing while he did it. And another flash, the situation was returning to what it had once been, the young boy, Rolo, fully evident. He watched, smiling at what he was causing. Shirley, her blues eyes rimmed with red, lost their final luster, slowly but surely fading from complete existence. Kallen finally understood. All were a close group, interwoven, sharing more than a similar thread of existence. They were also…dead, or understood to be dead; them and the countless others that followed, an entire population of people dying with the smallest amount of time. All were caused by the black-haired boy, the one with the handgun who watched them die, killing them with his own hands. Just like Suzaku had said and just as he had proven, the mad face enjoying his kill. Kallen looked away from prospect, trying to block out what she had just seen, yet it would just replay for her.

Lelouch turned to her, smiling. His Geass started activating, the wicked power dilating his own pupils. It did nothing, only causing him to irrationally cackle. He rose the gun up, pulling the trigger instantly.

"No, Lelouch. Don't." He still fired. One bullet fired, a large blue trail following it into her. Making contact, her thoughts shattered. Still, Lelouch started dry firing the gun, the rhythmic clicks making little difference to him. Then, he raised the gun up to his own head, pulling back the hammer on the back of the slide.

"What do you believe?"

"God, Lelouch! Stop it!" And the gun fired. "No, this isn't real!" No matter how much she tried to call out to herself, tried screaming at herself to wake up. It barely fazed her, only serving to further frustrate the girl. Before her, the body fell over, blood profusely spurting out the back of its head. Another figure took its place, the body belonging to… her.

"Look upon these lies. Do you understand the false truths that have been supplemented into your memory? The stacks of falsity that built up over time?" The voice had gained a feminine quality, Shirley walking out before her. Both eyes were glazed over, yellow pupils taking the original's place. "Can you see through this fog?"

"Shirley. How?" She only smiled, her hair floating above her shoulders.

"This is the world as those who prove ignorant see it. These are all the facts that have been planted in everyone's head. All those you have been in contact have created this world, their words leaving viable impressions." Her eyes also had the red ring around them; both contain the Geass's signature "v". The word "live" was echoed behind her, a soft voice calling out her name.

"I, I kind of understand, but why are you here? If this is false… What happened to you, then?"

"Just a question I wished you to ask… But, you shall see soon enough." She dissipated into nothing, a thin layer of smoke trailing around her. Another scene had started to accumulate before her, the large room of Pendragon's Royal Castle. Zero stood before the world, cameras watching as the emperor spoke to the shaking Earth, the one that he had finally gain control of. She remembered the day, almost as if it had occurred yesterday. If anything, most people who took part in the revolution remembered the day. She could only think of the regret for conspiring with all the others. Harsher were the memories that she held about the execution day, the same day they all watched him die.

Zero, Suzaku crying silently on the inside of the suit, approached the emperor, who only smiled his cocksure smile. A deadly sword, his family's sword, was held in his hand, driving into the fledgling's chest with incredible force. The word seemed to gasp at once, Nunnally watching from only feet away, her sight being a hindrance this time. Both exchanged a quick goodbye, Lelouch's face barely faltering as he fell over.

"Wake up, Kallen. You've seen enough." Shirley grabbed her shoulder, pulling her away from the trauma.

She shot up in her bed, sweat running down her brow. Light shined through the small blinds that shielded over the windows, radiating small amounts of frugal heat on her slender forehead. The clock read 10:30 A.M., well past the time she was suppose to be up. However, school wasn't something bothering her today. They had it off, one of Japan's many different holidays taking up their time. She slipped on a small pair of shorts and t-shirt, slowly moving down into the living room. Flipping on the television, she turned on the news and moved for something to eat in the kitchen.

"This is Aoi Nagisa reporting with Channel 11. We have breaking news regarding the new outbreak of gang activity reported throughout Tokyo." The news anchor shuffled a few sheets of paper, clearing her throat as the camera shifted to show a video recording of a few men, all dressed in black, attacking a small shop set up on a busy street. No sound could be heard, only a few cars swerving to avoid the men throwing different items around. She was sickened by the random acts, turning off the TV as the anchorwoman came back on. Kallen walked back into her small bathroom connected to the bedroom, moving into the large shower. It turned on, her stepping in but quickly jumping out of the torrid water.

"Dammit…" After the water finally cooled, she stepped in, fully immersing herself in the life-giving water. It refreshed her skin, washing away the cold sweat that had stuck her hair to her forehead. One hand rested against the wall, her head pressed against the tiles of the wall. It continued on for a few more minutes, only the sound of a doorbell breaking her basic trance. Kallen turned off the water, stepping out and wrapping herself in a white silk towel that hung off a steel towel rack. Another one wrapped around her head, drying her hair. The doorbell rang again, the man outside getting a little impatient.

"Just a minute", she bellowed, exhaling as she did. "Jesus Christ." She ran to the door, her loose towel still draped around her body. "Hello?" Expecting no one, she was far from the mood to deal with delivery men.

"Uh, Ms. Stadtfeld", asked the young man, clearing a rookie. He was only a few years older than her, probably trying to fund his way through college. His face was a brilliant red, Kallen hardly aware that she was still indecent.

"Yes? How can I help you?" She tapped her foot with incredible speed.

"Um, you wanted us to, um, deliver a few different things that were in your storage locker. They've been there for a few months now." He showed her a box, small in size. However, when the man held it, it appeared to have some kind of weight to it, being deceptively heavy.

"Oh, thank you. Just one second." She turned around and grabbed a small folded bill, a tip for the man. Upon grabbing it, she let go of her towel and the entire thing fell to the floor, a cold breeze blowing across the girl. Instantly, she froze up, the young man staring in disbelief. A trail of blood ran down his nose. Slowly, she turned around to face the man, her face contorted into one of disgust.

"Uh, um, how about, um I come back… later?" He was fully blushing, the package having fallen from his hands. It was almost as if his entire body had lit up, him unable to feel anything at all. Both eyes slowly turned in his head, life draining from her.

She moved over to him and slapped him, the boy reeling backwards. "Get the hell out!" It concluded with the door slamming, Kallen rushing away to her room to get dressed. For the rest of the hour, she sat around her around her house, slowly leaving everything else behind.

Around noon she grabbed the package that the man had dropped, taking it inside and placing it down on the table. It was taped from side to side, something rattling around as she shook it. Grabbing the small knife, she cut the sides, letting the box fall apart in one fluid, graceful motion. The contents were something of a mystery. A few different knick-knacks from her mother's childhood sat around scattered, a semi-automatic pistol lying amongst the middle of them. Two clips stood by their side, all filled with 9mm ammo. They were all covered with a thick layer of dust, the items archaic considering the time. 2013 was engraved in the side, a few years after the war had started, the conflict barely cumulating to what it had become. She picked it up and leveled it to her eye, staring down the iron sight, the small notch blocked by gray dust. The girl blew it away, inspecting the weapon with a fine eye.

"When did she own a weapon?" However, another small word had been engraved into the opposite side, a name, someone close to her. "Naoto", she repeated to herself, holding it carefully in both sides. Yet, it was well maintained, the steel slide sliding back with incredible ease. But, it looked familiar to her, almost as if she had seen it before. Kallen threw a magazine into it, the memory coming back to her. It was the gun that Zero had used before, the gun that she watched he shoot himself with, last night. "Oh, God", she uttered, dropping it to the floor. As soon as it hit the hardwood flooring, it discharged, a round thundering off and smashing into the slider door glass. But, she was entranced, having a breakdown as she stared at it, her eyes wide. A tear rolled down the cheek, dripping down to the floor.

"Kallen", called a voice from afar. "You must calm down." Time was stuck in place, the tear holding inches above the floor.

"Wha…" she said, her voice pathetic. The girl was a wreck, her mental state beyond what it once was. Anything seemed to set her off, her fragile psyche easily malleable. Wearing a giant façade, she tried to trudge through the days, her life finding little anything that kept her awake inside. Nothing was pleasing; nothing had a ray of light that would change her mind.

"The police are coming. That gunshot could be heard around the entire neighborhood. Considering what happened this morning, they are looking for a few people. Considering your past…"

"I thought that the racial boundaries had been broken down after the era of peace was reigned in."

"Did you really? That is nothing but sheer naivety. Have you bothered to look at how many Britannians are still here? They control the government still, along with the cities and everything."

"Then what Zero, I mean Lelouch did was in vain?" The girl nodded her head, the spirit looking out one of the windows from time to time. "Why were we allowed are country's name back, then?"

"Think. I can't supply you with everything." She already understood the answer: it was an obvious way to control the population. Instill a false sense of control in the Japanese people, while having a consul of Britannians watching and controlling over every different aspect of their world. They could stay behind the scenes, acting as advocates of peace while operating the internal workings of the world.

"No." She fell to the ground, clutching her head.

"Yes."

"Everything I worked for. Everything that we worked for, all the people dead. All the deaths that I caused… Is it all in vain? Was it for anything at all?"

"No. Even my death was a pointless misunderstanding, a result of a high-strung boy with an over possessive mindset. Yet, it allowed for nothing to blossom. And you would think that all that you have done is different? You are a murderer."

"Murderer…" Sadly, she could believe that she was a killer, a sinner whose only point in life was to instigate pain. All the blood on her hands, all the families that she had broken apart, only bodies remaining of their loved ones.

"They know that you were a large part of the Black Rebellion. Britannia is still looking for the members, slowly executing them one by one. It will only be a certain time until you get caught."

"What, what can I do?"

"Find him. That is all you can do."

"Lelouch." She touched her chest upon hearing the name, it slowly relaxing her as she repeated it over and over in her head. Her head was a mess, all of the tumult spiraling around the figure that stood in the middle of it all. The boy in her thoughts, the one they all thought had died. Almost as if someone had come across the answer, she understood the dreams she had had last night, the words of the enigma ringing clearing in her ears. "Where can I look?"

"Samegawa." It was the location of nowhere, a small mountain range that led along the western side of the island, driving up the entire island. Small roads and villages were scattered all up the mountains, each one with Samegawa as a surname. Still, anything was better to her than living the sheltered life, one conspiracy after another piling up on her. "For this is the only place that has no Britannian jurisdiction. Nothing touches them, the small hamlets lost in time..." She drifted off, a self-absorbed face staring off toward the towering Mt. Fuji that watched over their city.

"When should I go?" Having no one else to believe, she faced few options.

"Now." She smiled, disappearing into the wall that stood behind her. "They're here, too. And this, this is the last time that we will ever meet." A knock was heard at the door, a few different people amassing outside her house. "Kallen. Be strong. If you even once doubt yourself, you will die. I will make sure that you do not live whatever happens to you."

"Heh." She pulled back the top of the pistol on the table, checking to make sure that there was a clip loaded in. All nine bullets were accounted for. "I've never heard you speak with such disdain for a person." Shirley's spirit only smiled, fading from all points of existence. She was one with the wind, being nothing more than a memory. Kallen was partially responsible for her death.

"Excuse me, Kallen Kouzuki. This is the prefectural police squad, number 2058, and we are responding to a gunshot that was heard in this vicinity. If you could please come out of your house to answer a few questions." His voice was clearly that of a Britannian's. He spoke with an air of superiority, his lips disgusted to even attempt to pronounce something that remotely resembled Japanese.

"No", she said to herself, pointing the gun at the door. She had used guns before, almost a countless amount of times while in the Black Knights. Moreover, she had seldom ever killed a person before, barely even firing in the direction of people. This would be a record first, yet the weapon had a certain comfort about it, almost as if it radiated a familiar aura. Still, the girl was better suited behind the seat of a Knightmare Frame or in a hand-to-hand combat situation. But, if her enemy was armed with deadly weapons, then she would give them no quarter.

"My lord, do you think she's home?"

"I doubt it. The damn Eleven probably ran off after firing the gun. Wretched creatures, all of them." The young ensign smiled, nodding in agreement with a few overdone motions. "Ms. Kouzuki, if you do not comply with our request, we will have to enter the house and search the area. Are you prepared to deal with that?"

"My lord, you're wasting your breath."

"But we have to follow standards. Can't give on to the fact that they still aren't in control of their own police forces and military."

"I bet she already knows."

"That's why were here to capture her. If we can't, we are supposed to kill her on sight. Is everyone clear on that?" The five others, all armed with automatic rifles and donning body armor, nodded. All were soldiers from the previous conflict, joining police squadrons to see more action in the warless environment. All were sadists, killers with little to no souls.

Kallen listened and counted. "Three, four, five… six. It should only take six bullets, that's it." Her original way of thinking was returning. She imagined herself behind the seat of a frame, preparing herself for combat.

"Okay, break down the door and secure the girl. She lives by herself and should be easy to differentiate between anyone else."

"Yes, my lord." Two men walked to the thick front door and tried the handle, opting for a stealthy approach. However, finding it locked, they strung a small breaching charge around the handle and blew the door. It swung open with force, a large blast of air pushing a few pictures off the walls. Two barrels poked their heads inside, searching every other corner for a target, anxious to fire off a few rounds. Kallen ducked behind a counter, slowly counting off beats in her head. On the tenth, she sprung up and fired her first pistol round that would kill another human being. It struck the side of his head, the man going down in one quick second.

"Shit! Man down! I repeat, man down!"

"You are weapons free", said the commander, smiling. He was waiting for her to pull a foolish move. The others moved in, sweeping the room with military precision. Yet, she couldn't be found anywhere. One looked up at the ceiling, spotting the girl hanging off a large chandelier. Kallen brought her leg down into his face, breaking his nose on the spot. He fell, the girl bring the barrel to the fallen man's chest. She fired another round. Automatic fire filled the void, the girl diving away as the other police started firing wildly around the house. Bullets collided with everything, shattering vases and additional appliances. Three remaining, they all ran in her direction. She back-flipped, shooting wildly at them men running at her, the pistol jerking as her aim went unchecked. One man went down, shooting into the air until his gun ran empty.

"Two left."

"Commander! Call in some support! We can't handle her!" Her small knife was unsheathed, driving itself into the man's neck. She twisted the body around, letting it catch the rounds that the last man was firing at her. He jerked around, coughing up a profuse amount of blood. Wide-eyed, the last dropped the clip from the gun, backing up as he struggled to put a fresh magazine into the chamber. It went in and he leveled the gun to her chest as she walked over, but she put a hand upon the gun, wrenching it upward. One foot went out, kicking the police unit's leg. He fell, a sickening crack following. In another motion, the man was trapped in a choke hold, the dagger pressed to his throat.

"Amateurs." Even the sound of her voice was different, almost as if she had calmed down, developing a sultry monotone.

He made a stifled noise, his throat being clamped down on. He looked up at her, his eyes pleading with her to let the young man go. But she didn't, slicing his blade deeply into his throat and dropping the body with the blade still pressed to his skin. It cut through the fibers, the deep wound instantly killing the man.

"HQ, come in. We need some support here. The situation is out of control." He was desperately yelling into the small radio, his hand shaking.

"Repeat."

Outside, the cocky Britannian stifled a little, trying hard to swallow. She meandered outside, not bothering to look at the sniveling man. Without aim, she lowered the gun and fired and fired and fired, the gun running out of ammunition. The slide snapped back, empty, the metal hot. Kallen snapped out of her trance, yet she felt the same, almost as if she was in total control of herself. Again, she felt the experience of piloting her Guren.

Before the second group of support came, she went upstairs into her bedroom, gathering a few items for her trip. She found a small holster in her mother's room, with the same name on the side. It had a few different pockets for extra clips, the cold metal cartridges lining her pockets. Her knife went into the pocket as well, a few hundred dollar bills in a small wallet she kept. Lastly, she donned her old uniform that Zero had given them all, the black catsuit underneath allowing her maximum comfort and agility. The old pilot suit fit in her small bag, the only one that she would carry. A few other things found themselves in the bag, only the necessities. Strapping it on her back, she left the house, not bothering to close the door behind her; first, she would have to leave Tokyo, taking on of the T.G.V. trains to the south. The station was only hundreds of feet away from the plaza that stood near the house. A smile crossed her face, a kind smile. She would have to take the "kind killer" mantra. Before leaving, she took one last look at the bloodied bodies amassing at her steps. With disgust, she looked away. They would all be avenged. "Especially you, Naoto."

Kallen moved through the neighborhoods with ease, slipping along the nondescript paths without drawing any amount of attention to herself. Squad cars zipped through the area, the sirens droning her thoughts out. From the sound of it, more than five cars had surrounded the area, moving in quickly. They secured the area off, using the stereotypical yellow tape the entire house off. She threw one last look back at her home, one of the last sanctuaries that she would ever see. One man was looking through one of the windows, barely spotting her as she ducked out of sight, the last time she would ever be in that area of town again.

Empty and eerie, the hyper-rail train station was surprising desolate, every train still resting in its platform. A man sat in a small chair, thumbing through colorful magazine, not bothering to look at the girl who approached him.

"Tickets are 400 yen, Ms." He was gnawing down sort of food, the disgusting sound of his grinding teeth causing her to flinch with every strained bite. "Also, they only run for half of the day. Holiday and all that…"

"I don't care. I just need to get to Samegawa. Which platform do I need to take?" She threw a few crumpled bills on the counter, the man grabbing them with a lazy hand. He gave a quick look at them, pressing a small button on the cash register. After sliding them into the cash reservoir, he looked up at her.

"Ma'am, the trains don't go all the way to Samegawa. We stopped that service a couple of months ago." He grabbed a ticket from behind his chair, swiveling with a squeak. Holding it out for her, she grabbed it but the man didn't let go. "Still, you can get there by taking a few different routes."

"I can find it myself", she said, yanking the ticked away from him. She stomped off, leaving the man alone again.

"Remember to take the 344 to Inabate. You can find your way from there." He didn't understand why he was helping her out, the prickly girl obviously set off by something. She stopped, taking the advice in. Nodding to herself, she left the sight of the man, going aboard the fast train. He sighed, going back to his paper. As soon as the girl had gotten aboard, a few police sirens surrounded the station. Running out of the cars, the highly armed men surrounded the station, holding the trains in place.

"Police! Stop the trains!" The apparent leader surrounded the man in the kiosk, the men checking over the trains. In one of the windows, Kallen looked down on them, moving away from the area with haste. She ran to the front of the train, moving into the forward cabin that held the control consoles. Outside, the police had moved the conductors off the train. They started interrogating them, searching the areas for her.

"What the hell is this?!" The man who sold the tickets was becoming vivacious, his energy peaking above what would be considered wise. "I'm going to have to ask that you show me a permit for this search!" They ignored her, looking coldly at his face. He quivered a little, his left eyebrow arching back. Mainly, their weapons were what troubled the group of workers.

"Search the trains. Sweep from the front to the back. Don't leave any area untouched and report if you find anything out. If you contact the target, try to incapacitate her; however, you are all clear to fire. Is that understood?"

"Yes, my lord" they shouted in unison, giving a short salute and then marching systematically into the trains. In the furthest left, they moved up and down it, taking position near the closed doors into the other cars.

"Flash and clear", whispered one, pointing at another man. He tossed a flashbang grenade into the cabin, a blinding light clearing out all sight of those in the car. However, no one was there, the large train car easily clear.

"Clear, sir."

"Move on." They all moved up again, the soldiers and policemen in the other trains using the same tactics to search for the girl. None found her, the groups amounting outside of the conductor's cabin.

"Have you found her yet?"

"No, my lord. She isn't in any of the trains. We are currently doing a thermal scan throughout all of the area, but it isn't showing anyth- wait." A small red dot appeared on the map. Kallen, inside the control room, started pressing buttons, along with flipping a few different switches.

"Find her?"

"Yes, my lord." He changed his communicator. "Bravo, secure the conductor's cabin. The target is located within your train."

"Roger. Over and out." Bravo team leader pointed at his face and then at the door, spinning his hand in a circle. Basically, he was telling his team to get ready to breach into the room, watching out for Kallen as they secured it. He pointed and one man strung the small charge around the handle. Sadly, the charge never went off. Four rounds ripped through the flimsy wooden door, killing the entire Bravo squad within minutes. The train sluggishly started taking off, chugging away from Tokyo as the police started at it in disbelief. She bent over, grabbing on of the small sub-machine guns that the corpses clutched on to. Moving to the back of the train, she saw the small sedans that were chasing her.

"Leave me alone", she cried to herself, letting the weapon scream. Glass shattered, the sharp pieces raining down to the Earth. A few shards pelted her face leaving small incises on her face. Her accuracy something to be desire, the bullets jumped around the ground, ricocheting off the large metal tracks that the train ran across. Still, a few strays met with the cars tires, causing them to lose their grip and control. One cut the rest off, a four car pileup being caused by such a simple action. She wiped the small dots of blood caused by the broken glass and threw the gun out of the window, the train finally picking up respectable speed.

Silently, she wished her friends the best of luck, almost sad to be leaving them. And she once again called herself the "kind killer".

* * *

**Compared to the last, this is a little action heavy. If you are wondering, i did inspire her character for this from Madlax, especially from the eponymous character herself. Also, there are a few subtle references to other shows and i tried to partially include the show's running gag. Oh well. Kallen will be a dynamic character and will harbor change in the coming chapters. Anyway, thank's for reading and please, please, review. -AMP**


	3. Turn 3: Underlying Disrespect

**Ch. 3 is now up. This one is going to further the plot a little more, as i saw the last chapter to be a little action intensive. Anyway, enjoy.**

* * *

Hong Kong was moderately temperate this time of year, the wind blowing a cool breeze all through the city proper. Rows of trees swayed in synchronicity, the rustling leaves breaking off and playing games with the citizens out wandering the eroded alleyways and roads. Above, towers gleamed down on them, almost as if a glorious light was shining down from the heavens. While below, the usual things happened: the market place was packed with all kinds of characters, lower Hong Kong bustling with vivacious life. It all betrayed the martial law that had been instilled from the government, a recent string of threatening messages finding their way to higher-ups in the skyscrapers. It was only a matter of time before China had started to splinter at the seams, its country in constant turmoil. However, it still barely swayed the everyman, who continued to dither about the day, wasting away the little bits of anything he had at the countless impoverished districts he came upon.

The city, like any other major burg at the time, had a distinct social class discrepancy; yet, it was not as if the city was sectioned off into areas of low and high income. Rather, those that rolled higher into the sky could easily be counted as the upper class, the wealthy echelon that scoffed at the lowers, trickling down whatever could be counted as a feasible amount of pittance, spending little to belittle their own pockets. And that was the way of the world, the incorrigible truth that would see itself in an endless vicious circle.

The National Bank of China stood above the others, its unique architecture and woven floors of glass and steel setting it apart from the utilitarian buildings that surrounded it, the subtle master of a gracious party. It even rivaled the many towers in Tokyo's skyline, it being of from the same family as the newly installed Babel Tower II, its resemblance almost uncanny. Beyond the hundred plus floors reserved for the bank were plazas and shopping centres reserved for those who could toss hundreds of dollars down old washed wells. Beyond the jewelry store and pointless piano shops still were homes, miniature manors that stacked upon one another, building the tower to the peak of the atmosphere. It prodded its way through the layers, proving to defy any law thrown at it. And even as the tallest, it also was on of the most respected and most ignored. Countless individuals threw themselves away in the towers, the highest levels reflecting upon the country's latest sin and fetish. Casinos, brothels, host clubs… they all met up their, forming a dirty society that the entire city, albeit shamefully, benefited from. For that reason alone, the seedy world that existed, the microcosm of mafia, could be left without an overseeing eye. Besides, the government had better things to do than watch a playful tower all day. Or, at least, that's what they kept telling themselves.

Cars raced along the busy highways, a massive police force watching and responding to almost every digression that happened to cross them. Sirens were a constant thing, the blinking and blaring almost as normal as the slight humming of a neighbor or the melody a bird serenades. Gunshots, both quite and boisterous, were also in the sensory norm. Zero shook his head, staring out the tinted window of the armored Xendas he drove, a luxury car designed for the best comfort and protection, a sterling example of what money could float for you. None of the bumps or potholes that time pressed into the strings of roads even phased the vehicle, it gliding over them with gusto. A large embassy started appearing in on the vanishing point, the Victorian-style building representing the old domain of the past countries that once tried owning the power house known as China. Besides it was a more modern facility, Britannian's own embassy and even further sat a pagoda that served as Japan's. But the three were the only in the entire city, the only three that had affected the large behemoth in an affable way. That is, except for Britannia; there was nothing that could be done there, though. As it was, every country was a satellite nation for the new "peaceful" Britannia.

The Xendas pulled up through the steel gates, moving towards the middle embassy, the stereotypically advanced building. Many other cars met with his, all looking similar or having a regal flare about them. Coming to a complete stop, the driver inside didn't stop the ignition but put the parking break in and got out, opening the door for Zero, who stepped out with an agile foot, the slender outfit showing off the muscular body of the young man who donned the entire suit. Another joined him out of the car, a smaller vehicle pulling up behind them, more guests gracing the set meeting with their royal presence.

"M'lady", said one of the attendants opening the door for Nunnally Lamperouge, keeping the latter name in honor of her brother. Even the glove she wore had the same blood stain that had been spilt, Lelouch's blood leaving a metaphysical print upon her. She stepped out with a frail, cautious gait, both unstable legs trying to stand on themselves. Of course, she had a spare wheelchair in the back of her car, just in case. Nunnally had started to walk only months ago, going through extensive physical therapy just to break through the first few steps. Zero held an indifferent face as he watched her make his way over by them, a company of royal Britannian's following close on her coattails.

"Nunnally. Do you want me to have your chair ready in case?"

"No", she said, her voice almost as shaky as her steps. "I think that I will be fine today, but thank you, Suzaku." It was almost common knowledge that the former eleven was the feared ruler, but although they feared him, he kept his protectorate position.

"If you insist." She smiled as they moved through the adorned portico, progressing into the large foyer of the complex, the foreign dignitaries bustling back and forth as the intimidating mass moved past them all. The political instillation was masking something else; it's outer appearance was small yet as they moved through the carpeted halls, the noticed large antechambers and the like, all spurring off towards more hidden facilities, an interlocking web of trails that led underground throughout the city. Suzaku still wore the plain face, hiding any emotion, keeping himself alienated from the would as best he could. Pushing open the large double wood doors, Zero moved into the large meeting room that had been set up for them, a few people sparsely scattered around in the swivel chairs that docked themselves at the table in the midst of the room. A high ceiling greeted them, the tens of chairs sighing up at them. The room itself help majority to the back of the structure, a rotund ambulatory that covered a large fraction of the yard that the embassy owned.

"Ah, the guest of honor", said someone sarcastically, their face unfamiliar to him. "Zero, come and sit. We have things to discuss and time is of the essence."

"…" He didn't bother with a response, the patronizing speech only simply bothersome.

"Cumberland", said Nunnally, joining the table of people. "It's great to see that you are so well." The rest of the party also came in, making the table scarce for room.

"Viceroy Nunnally, your words are but a mere blessing to me, and for them, I thank you. But, I have been fine, and fruition plentiful. I could ask you the same thing, but I believe I know my answer." Zero only stared at him, the buttered words further serving to annoy him.

"I see that you still pertain to your wisdom." He smiled a congenial, toothy smile that showed the pearly whites.

"Cumberland, if you could please skip the pleasantries, we could get down to the reasons we came." Raleigh, a permanent frown embroidered on him, smacked his fist down, drawing all attention towards him.

"I'm only greeting a friend lost to time, Admin. It's only a matter of seconds that I'm sparing you, anyway."

"Yet you just jostled… this one", pointing at Zero, "for time? Indeed, you do have quite the time." Admin Raleigh, his short, well-kept black hair, stood out amongst the royals, who wore their hair long, with brighter colors. He also had a different personality, a withered husk of a man who had seen every angle of corruption, and allowed himself to be taken in by such actions. He had a notorious reputation, a bloodstained record. But that all disappeared in a place as such.

"Enough, Raleigh. You both will have your time; try not to belittle yourselves before us, before our times as well." Carine, having regained a position of respect, watched her cruelty ever present. Nunnally looked at her, trying not to frown. "Officially, let us start this."

"Agreed", erupted a cacophony from the rest of the members, all looking back and forth at the others, evident sides being built based off influence. Although there was peace, even Britannia had splintered on the inside. Li Xingke, surrounded by his entourage, watched at the far end of the table, his arms crossed with a cocksure smile. And one by one, the slow minutes crept on all fours, barely maintaining a lethargic pace. Important, yet Nunnally didn't care about any of it, with Schneizel taking care of all the matters that pertained to that degree. Hell, even "Zero" could assist better in such details than herself. The political riffraff that often followed around the massive royal egos were all too much, leading to nothing but the basest instinct of strife.

"For a new topic", started another, Dlenosky, one of the head advisors to Carine. He was a thin, weathered Russian, his accent thick as he layered the words with a raspy overtone. A clean shaven face detracted away from his overall appearance, his gaunt face hollowed and devoid of any personality. Both hazel orbs, the pupils scratching to find a way out, rotated around the room, the wicked eyes estimating the appearances of all those unfamiliar to him. Then, both turned towards Zero, a cruel smile wryly crossing his face. "About the Black Knights… Zero, if you could contribute to this conversation."

"The Black Knights. Yes, this is a topic we've needed to address for quite a bit of time, now."

"And why?" Zero causally played with his wrist, his face unreadable. The mask pointed towards the Britannian head of the table, while his eyes scanned over each member that sat themselves around her.

"And why? Ha, surely you jest, Zero." The way he said it was lazy, but angry. "It's been over a year and still your troops occupy a large majority of the East."

"Is that a problem, your lordship?" Internally, he snickered at this saying. "I can't, honestly, find anything that could trouble you about that."

"A secret militia at your beck and call, poised to attack on the slightest off turn of your twisted mind? Do any of you feel the same way about this situation, or is this perturbing news only a bother to me? What say you, dear Sister?"

"I could fall upon the same opinion, Dlenosky."

"Yet, in this past year, I have hardly, nay never acted out violently towards anyone, let alone Britannia. I believe there is a saying… 'If it's not broken'." The mechanical superimposed voice thundered in the wide room.

"But, answer me this. Why would be so fearful of that 'peaceful' army, if they were barely a threat to any of us?"

"It's your instinctual paranoia. I can tell you nothing less."

"You're just avoiding the overall question. That peacetime, anyway, could only be a simple mask that you are wearing, just biding your time until we have fully trusted your secret police."

"Secret police? Were they every such a thing?"

"I couldn't believe they were anything other than a secret police."

"What would, then, ask of this… servant… to do?" Zero only started to smile, his mask slowly cooling itself. The day was warm, as he had already observed.

"This servant. Oh, Zero. How you never cease to amuse this court. You're more a jester to us than a threat."

"But, my force applies a level of fear?"

"Enough, Dlenosky. Stop playing around with him; we do have other details to ordain ourselves with."

"Yes, M'lady." He cleared his throat, calming his fury only slightly. "Zero, we have come upon your forces as the largest threat to this new era of peace, to put it bluntly. We are requesting both the disarmament and disbanding of the group, effective immediately. As well, we need you to file a complete ledger of all supplies and forces."

"And do I need to comply with this order?"

"The majority of the Britannian committee believes so, without a second opinion from yourself."

"Hmm…"

"Zero, this isn't something to think over. It is a complete order, one that you must directly comply with. And don't worry, we will be watching over you to make sure that you do listen to this order."

"It looks like I'm in a slight bind." Suzaku, while bright, never had the strategic mindset that Lelouch served, his planned maneuvers taking time and practice before execution. Schneizel looked over at him, the red ringed eyes still giving his command towards the masked man. He was invaluable help for his plans, too, being one of the driving forces behind his tactical moves and recent activity.

"Ahem", coughed Nunnally, trying to draw some attention towards herself. A few eyes drew in that direction, expectantly watching. "If we could move the meeting onward, I believe that we have wasted enough time on this topic."

"Lady Nunnally, it is good to hear your voice, even as a simple distraction. However, this matter is far from finished-"

"Actually, Lord Raleigh, it would be wise to move onward. The Chinese, I doubt, have all day to host our simple ingrained fighting."

"Yes, M'lady."

"I thank your understanding. But, we must turn the deliberation towards a more sobering topic. Japan." Only Suzaku, hidden as Zero, was Japanese, his emotions barely functional compared to what he had once felt to the home nation. Still, the Black Knights were still mobile due to his loyalty towards Japan.

"Japan", whispered Xingke to one of his consular members, a younger mistress who was heavily connected to the queen, who served under a large council of world leaders.

"Lord Xingke, what will you have us do?"

"Nothing", he replied, coldly staring off towards him. "Just wait for something else to develop. This is barely anything to react towards."

"Yes, my liege."

"I assume you've heard about the recent strings of overwhelming violence that had occurred in Japan, specifically Tokyo?" There was a unanimous nod, most of the table turning their full attention. "Even the news is trying to downplay it. All the papers are trying to get a hold of police force for exact details."

"What happened", questioned Nunnally, confusion upon her face. "I haven't heard anything about this, not yet." She was one of the top councilwomen of Japan, her pacifist plans boding well with the people. Still, the young girl could understand the instability of the country, its new government laying fragile foundation down for a new world. The sister who had said it smiled, the information thinly veiled bait set for her. As always, Nunnally took it with open arms, beckoning on the news.

"Apparently, because of the large gang activity that has been surmounting recently, many public facilities and businesses have been attacked, thus provoking more of the situation, yet this is only the tip of the startling news." She brushed the hair out of her face, a subtle glance coming from Chamberland. "Tokyo is in a complete uproar because of it."

"Gang activity? Haven't the local peacekeepers been doing something about it?"

"What can they do? All of attempts made by such forces haven't been nearly as forceful as those the police could attest to. We've actually recalled the peacekeeping units and are currently reviewing their abilities and usefulness."

"Are you possibly kidding? We can't lose the peacekeeping units! That's out of the question." She slammed a fist down on the thick wooden table, a dull echo emanating out of the material.

"Nunnally, calm down. This is something that could benefit the entire country, ensuring a sense of stability."

"And there was another incident, this one separate from the others."

"By a splinter faction or a single individual?"

"A lone woman, actually. One from an interesting past, too." One of the men surrounding Carine pulled out a small manila envelope and set a few papers down on the table, evenly dispersing them around the room. The picture, upon its arrival to the young sister, was clear. Even Suzaku wasn't expecting the soft face. "A Ms. Kallen Stadtfeld, a young half-Britannian, half-Japanese girl of eighteen who is still in school. Some of you might recognize her as the Black Knight's ace pilot, the one rivaling Kururugi at that."

"See?! The Black Knights are plotting some uprising, just like the one from a year past!"

"Dlenosky! That's enough!"

"But, he does bring up a good point. Even if she was doing this by herself, her affiliation with the Black Knight's in the past could be trouble, especially if she was, as you said, an ace pilot."

"So, what do you have to say of this, Zero?"

"Nothing, actually. I'll accredit to her fantastic ability, yet I let her, and countless others, go long after the revolt had ended. Ms. Stadtfeld and I haven't been in contact in… a year."

"And that's a fact?"

"Completely."

"…"

"Dlenosky. We're moving on." She turned back towards Nunnally, a false display of concern on her face. "She has killed six officers when they attempted to search her house. Already displaying a high-suspicion, they proceeded to gain entrance, in which she brutishly attacked and killed each man. After, she escaped to the local train station, where she killed four more highly armed police officers. We are currently tracking the train with our satellite beacons."

"Was there any other possible reason why she attacked the officers? I know Kallen. She wouldn't blatantly disrupt such a time of peace."

"We don't have any other idea. The attack appeared as random, but we have to believe that she had some arterial plan. We haven't monitored her that area in ages; as of now, we are currently searching for anything relating to the situation."

"I believe we should halt the search and try to intercept the trains; if I can get into direct contact with her, I can find out what's happening."

"No, there is no possible chance for us risking such a thing. Now, we have deployed the Berostasis towards there. Aboard, we have an entire company of Glasgow Mark III's ready to attack."

"Why would you take such measures?"

"We have reason to believe that Japan is still harboring many harsh feelings towards us, and with the Black Knights, it can only lead to one situation." The Russian who cried out screamed, his voice desperate.

"Which is?"

"Another uprising. All of the gangs that have been reported are said to have been with in the Black Knights; we can't believe in taking a peaceful situation to a massive outburst like this." It was almost as if he was foaming at the mouth.

"Dlenosky! I've heard enough from you! Be quiet or I will have you arrested and send down to Japan, which you so despise."

"Are you planning on declaring such a war?! Another slaughter, like the one's we had witnessed before?"

"No, we aren't. However, it was learned that it was YOUR brother was a major part of the entire situation. You should understand how the situation can change based on the actions of a single individual."

"Don't bring Lelouch into this. I won't stand you tarnishing his name, even if he was responsible for a majority of the destruction. Don't you understand that his sacrifice brought about the new era of peace!?"

"And look where we are now! It was a futile sacrifice!" This shut her up, a single tear starting to well up in each eye. "I'm sorry, but the squads we are sending down are only for guarding purposes. As I said, they are being deployed now, into all areas of the country. Tokyo is going to be featuring the biggest shakedown, so to speak. Military Advisor Asper. Do we have information on all of the trains leaving from Tokyo?"

"M'lady. We have not been able to pinpoint the current train; however, we are slowly coming upon the train that was hijacked."

"Keep updating me with the status."

"NO! Stop the Knightmares from deploying into Japan! If they even so much as touch the soil, the entire country will be enveloped in a sea of flames!"

"Nunnally, hold your tongue! This is a military action, one not of pacifism or diplomacy, but of action. WE will not listen to your hypocritical self-aggrandizement nor will we let you speak any longer."

"But I implore you! Why would we even strive for such things then destroy the entire thing by slaughtering all of the people against us?! You're no better than the nation that threatened to destroy the world!"

"Schneizel, would you please escort the young lady out of the room? This is getting to be out-of-control."

"…" The blond-haired man just sat there, staring forward into the distance. She repeated herself a few times, only frowning as he continued to ignore her.

"Do it", whispered Zero, showing a slight hand towards door. Schneizel nodded at it and then turned around, pulling back Nunnally's chair. Get her up, the three left the room together, leaving the squabbling behind them. They moved at a slow pace, meandering down the halls towards the front of the building. Zero noticed a familiar silhouette and stopped, telling the other two to continue off without him. Waiting, Suzaku watched as the Chinese diplomat came into the open, presenting himself before the caped figure.

"Zero. I was quite surprised when you showed yourself here. It's quite a risk you are taking."

"Li Xingke. It's good to see you still rely so heavily on the calculating subterfuge that has kept you living this long." The bitter words stung heavily, but the Chinese man could feel a different between this Zero and the one hiding Lelouch. Even so, he had watched, repeatedly, of Lelouch's death. "But, why wouldn't I show myself? I'm a respected figure within the Unity Council that is holding the world up."

"Is that what you would call this?"

"Exactly. I-", but he was cut off by the large legato of a sniper's gunshot, the heavy bullet lingering in the air as the echo perforated all off the meeting space. They all ran toward the area, the metallic copper smell filling the air. Pushing the doors open, they instantly noticed the wide-eyed body of the Russian, but he wasn't wounded in the least. Next to him sat Raleigh, a large hole in his chest. The awkward silence was shattered by the screams of almost every woman in the room.

"Xingke, we'll continue this later."

"Sure." He moved to the Chinese, his hand slowly covering over his sword. Zero turned to move towards Nunnally, who with Schneizel, was out in her car, unprotected by anything. He moved out, pushing past the guards who had moved into the area. The car was fine, Zero hopping into it with haste.

"What's happening?"

"Raleigh's been assassinated, by a hidden sniper. We have to get out of here. I doubt that he was the only target."

"I'm being targeted?"

"I don't know whose being target, but considering the room was filled with diplomats, it could be anyone."

"All right. Let's go." The car took off, leaving the embassy. Behind them, the rest of the room piled into their respective vehicle, yet two cars had trouble starting. As soon as one tried the ignition, the car erupted into flames, small debris raining down from the skies. Both Gine Rioly, another advisor to Carine, and Dlenosky were killed, both dead from the explosions; Nunnally's sister looked out the window at it, her face insignificantly indifferent.

Zero got out of the car, moving to the large house that Nunnally had moved into. Many others stayed in it, yet he had his own area of contemplation, one that occupied the majority of the basement of the manor complex. His phone vibrated, the small electronic diverting his direct attention.

"This is Zero."

"Zero. It's great to see that you are a competent as you claim to be. The assassinations looked directly like an act of an outside force."

"Hmm."

"Even more so, the authorities are turning their attention towards Japan, especially because of the bullet found on him. That was even beyond what I was expecting."

"And you?"

"I have added the new Lancelot Vr. 12's to your personal armory. They will be there within the next few hours, no questions asked."

"Good. As for witnesses, I believe that Li Xingke was suspicious of my presence there. He is an intelligent man and may be able to call attention to me for the situation."

"Even if he does, the plan will still come out. All we needed was an unsanctioned attack on a political force. Be it you or me, it will be enough to have the Berostasis ready to be called out towards any country."

"Are we trying to make this look like another rebellion?"

"No, but it could help out. You might have to place your neck on the line this time, too."

"I don't expect to be heavily compensated for this. However, I would like some assured protection for a few people that I'm associated with."

"You would have to be more specific."

"I know."

"Also, I'm sorry to tell you this late in the game, but we have started round up the past members of the Black Rebellion. Those we have caught are being kept until we hold a secret execution for the Britannian Royal Family."

"How many do you have", he asked, a slight hint of surprise in his voice. Suzaku still held some respect and heart towards the people he once associated with.

"A small amount. Even a few were part of the Japanese Liberation Front. The Four Holy Swords are a high priority."

"Why waste such resources?"

"We have the time and money to spend. Most of the members Royal Family want to see those who shamed the Empire dead. I can only graciously comply.

"I understand that, but I don't want to consider this directly now. I have quite a few other things to deal with before it should come to this. I still have associates that you could consider part of such organizations."

"That is why I'm warning you first."

"I don't know whether I should thank you or not."

"Do what you will, Suzaku. Just remember. The previous Zero was a master at decision and strategy. You will only survive by being on par with him. I would do well to keep that in your mind.

"Wait", he started to say, wondering how the caller understood his identity. However, they had hung up, the feminine voice leaving an imprint on him. He lightly pressed the off button, the phone dying with a static buzz. He pocked it and when to attend to Nunnally, his head racing with hundreds of thoughts. Sooner or later, he would be responsible for the lives and deaths of thousands, no millions of people. It was an overwhelming thought.

* * *

Kallen slept as the train slowly started to pull into Inabate, the sleepy town barely out skirting the other hamlets that led a thin path around the surrounding mountains. Those with electricity lit the town, the pale candlelight barely holding up compared to the fluorescent beams. On auto-pilot, the electronics system aboard the train engaged the brake and came to a complete stop, all doors disengaging with a mechanical hiss. Kallen, always a semi-light sleeper, darted up, her small handgun cradled in her arm. It had been the second time she dosed off on the train, no dreams bothering her sleep either times. Eerie, as she had almost always been able to convey a vivid sense into her dreams, a deeper understanding that she kept to herself. Holstering it, she moved out of the train, the town absent of most life. The silence was overwhelming, taking in a sense of death. In the distance, she could hear a slight sound of an explosion, the following tremor gently shaking the ground. Almost instantly, shellshock followed, the wild vibrations setting off a sense of the battles she had been in, the emotional scars that had been forced upon her. And the sky lit up, another tremor running through the ground.

"What the hell?"

"Don't move", shouted a voice over a loud-speaker. Around her, an invisible Knightmare appeared, cloaked by a prototypical shield that covered the entire frame. She instantly recognized the voice, the blond haired boy from her past revealing himself in an interesting revelation. With both floodlights shining on her, she noticed the rampant bullet holes in the village, yet strangely absent of blood. Raising her hands into the air, she turned around smiling.

"Gino, it's been a while", she said, her voice relaxed although a gun was directly pointed at her.

"Kallen?" He seemed just as surprised. But, Kallen felt the cold press of her handgun and understood that she would have to consider killing him, because he could compromise the situation she was in. The Knightmare, a basic Glasgow, opened up, the man stepping down from the mecha. "What the hell you doing here?" He didn't say it with anger, but with pleasant surprise.

"Just getting out of Tokyo. Why are you still in Japan? Shouldn't you have gone back to Britannia by now?"

"Yeah", he said, shuffling his feet. "But they were short on a few peacekeeping guards and I happen to like this place. Something happen in Tokyo?"

_"Wait, if he's still a guard… Does that mean he's secretly looking for me?" _She could understand the need to be careful; Gino was a top pilot, being the Knight of Eight. It wouldn't be a large surprise to find out that he was still one of the higher pilots. But, he seemed to glance upon her with a careless face, almost as if he hadn't heard what had happened. "Just some home trouble, nothing to big." While she said this, Gino delicately surveyed the train behind her, making a simple mental note of its number.

"Anything I can help you with?"

"Not really, but thanks. It's good to know that one of my friends still cares about me."

"Sound's like you've had a rough year. Everything kinda fall apart after the whole incident last year with you too? You know after Zero's Requiem", but his eyes turned wide, him trying to quickly hush himself. That, his knowledge of something kept under heavy wraps, wasn't something to casually toss around.

"Yeah, exactly", but she noticed the slip of tongue. However, she didn't want to give it away, so she stopped any conspicuous notions.

"Something the matter", he asked as another explosion resonated in the distance. This one sounded much closer, the blinding light almost near both.

"No." It was flat, her voice losing some life as she started to understand that he was still a Britannian dog.

"Well, we should get out of this area. It's not safe, as you could probably tell." He turned around and grabbed the small tether that automatically rose up into cockpit, Gino taking a seat before closing the large breach of the mecha. "Here", the blond, young man said extending the massive arm down towards her. "I'll be able to take you to the DMZ around here."

"You guys have set up a DMZ? I doubt that's required, especially considering the…" She turned back to the explosions in the distance. "What are you guys doing anyway?" Her voice was starting to raise, her anger slowly creeping up. "Aren't we in a time of peace?"

"Yeah, but we have found some rebels, all associated with the Black Knights and we can't have any exceptions, not now, not after all we've worked for."

"Worked for? What have you done for this country?! Tell me, Gino, tell me one damn thing!" However, he just retracted the arm and turned the Glasgow away from her, an explosion highlighting the colors of the mecha. Holding a large machinegun in one hand, he pulled back the register, loading the gun with a new clip. She backed slowly, turning to watch the train, her nearest cover, start to move, slowly albeit surely. Taking a large step, Kallen dashed off towards it, her hand already touching the steel grip of the pistol. Knowing it would do little, she still trained her arm backwards at the still standing Knightmare.

"Kallen, I really don't want to do anything to you!" His was soft, but they both understood that he held more reverence towards his home land, his friends having left him with too many scars. Watching as she jumped aboard the moving train, he took aim, but rather at the rear of it, firing with the recoilless weapon. The uranium rounds tore through the malleable metal, setting the large train off its track. Almost as quickly as it started, it died down, leaving little cover or escape for the red-head.

"Shit", she cursed, hiding herself behind a thin wall. Little ammunition available, she holstered the pistol. If she could avoid the mecha's heat-detector, she could slip away from him and into the forests and abduct another Knightmare if she needed to. But, the young woman wouldn't need to worry as a large shot rang out, the head of the Glasgow blowing in half. Following the first, another rammed into the torso, disabling the rest of suit. Gino said something to himself and ejected from the body, the destroyed shell falling to the ground with a metallic crash. Kallen stepped from her cover, moving out of the destroyed train.

"Kallen", shouted a voice familiar to her, the feminine voice of a girl she was once associated with. It was a voice she never thought she would ever hear again.

* * *

**Well, i will attempt to update this story (and my others) soon after. Sorry, again, about the constant waits and delays but don't worry. Thanks and keep reading and reviewing. -AMP**


	4. Turn 4: Behind the Veil

**Sorry for the wait, :(. I've been going through quite a hectic time (with Negima helping me a long the way, thank the Lord) Anywho, i also deleted the original version of this story a few days ago, too... But thats in the past... Enjoy the continuation... Thanks.**

* * *

Trees rolled by the windows of the small black truck, the vehicle driving both figures to a secluded camp only a small ways away from where Kallen had been attacked. It pulled along a hidden path, dirt shooting up behind them, a lengthy veil causing a massive trail that followed the truck on their coattails. Only taking mere minutes, they pulled up to a small outcropping path that led up a trail. Getting out, she followed the figure up the steep incline, her eyes scanning every possible area for something out of the norm. Near the top, a camp opened up to them, a hilltop that watched out over the entire area, many other peaking hills joined around where there's was. It was thinly spread out, but quite large, encompassing a large area, many trees sparsely spaced in between each basic area. The Northern countryside was a sight to behold, many different elements setting it apart from all other aspects of the land, a roving forest leading the valleys below. Smoldering logs also were abundant, a large fire pit in the middle of the entire area, smoke drafting off of them. It was smoky and acrid, her lungs choking up, a sensation she hadn't felt in ages. Only a small, two-person tent watched over as a means of shelter, the dark forest green nylon cloth trying its best to look inconspicuous amongst the natural surroundings. However, it easily stood out, barely matching up with the looming foliage, the small leaves that fell from the trees and gathered in large piles around the forest floors. All of the areas looked as if they had been set out for weeks, or at least days. Every element had the feeling of age, a well-worn area having been set up by an experienced settler, almost as if it had been integrated into the setting, a Luddite dreamscape. A slimming getaway shone through the usual forestry, but it was a rendezvous point, acting as a major relay between all the other factions out in the field. You could even say that it complimented the entire area, even if the fake materials didn't mesh well with the environment. Looking back down below the hill, she couldn't even see the truck they had arrived in, but the train station, the destroyed train station, could be seen, the long car derailed for miles. Still, all of the lights were on, radiating an interesting image on the plains below them all.

On the opposite spectrum above them, the sky was exorbitant. Not a cloud stood in the clear sky, but all of the stars were gone, on a pitch black sheen washing over everything. It was the blackest she had even seen, the city usually too bright to see such a phenomena. Yet, to the West and East, small stars frittered around in place, skipping over the sky above, almost as if they were avoiding them, the gods having forsaken the very battlefield they were left down upon. But it wasn't to be, as the wind started to pick up, stars filling the empty void that watched them with a discerning eye. The moon was out, rolling from a slimming crescent that was barely visible to the world. Stars flitted around it, giving it a celestial appearance, an aura that permeated the world, a euphoric sense falling on them both. As it rose into the middle of the sky, the fully peaked place stood out as the palace of the heavens, the entire world basking in the light that came down, saving the world from a frozen slumber. All smiled down, the world entranced in a still motion, the explosions ceasing in the background. Even the tremors that basted the ground stopped, silence being instilled in the world. Slowly, the stars in the sky started move away from the moon, as if jealous of its grandeur. Each strand of grass the wind rippled through was a string chorus serenading life, the display one uncommon with the subterfuge of conflict. Subtlety was the biggest thing happening in the world, a secret world swallowing everything though to be normal, and the basic construct of the world falling into a thin level of despair. Yet, for that innocent moment in time, the world held a distinct feel, a grip of warmth that could have captured them for the remainder of the night.

That thin wind swept through the small, scattered valleys that troughed below the many peaks and hills, empty canals driving bodies and other beings through to other parts of the north. Each path was more worn out than the last, dirt paths beaten in due to the constant recent use, large mecha trails circling with giant treads. Even the small, obscure footprints of the foot-soldiers and villagers stood out, making their mark on Japan. The only visible places with grass were the scuffing tops at the top of the hills, a visible ripple washing through from the wind that touched the tips of it, almost as if it were a sea of constant rolling waves, barely growing beyond the placid touch of a clear day's coast. Again, Kallen found herself staring off at the world out of her touch, the theatric play that would keep changing its choreography, varying to something new for their eyes. Even the girl next to her was looking up at it, her eyes, although more cold than usual, were lit up, her slowing down as they neared the dying flames. She finally drew her eyes away from it, the wind gently picking up her hair and setting it down unevenly on her head. Neither had said a word, them leading alone in solemn silence.

"How long have you been out here", she asked, surprising the girl, her mind wandering far from the reason she had brought her up. She jolted a little, her head slightly turning towards, her attention still slightly divided. Kallen sighed to herself, not wanting to bother repeating what she had said again. It only took another minute for the younger girl to realize she was being spoken to.

"Um", she started; her voice was slightly deeper than last the last time they had seen each other, her fragile yet spirited self parading around Zero's quarters. Now that Kallen noticed it, the girl had gone through an incredible change, her entire look changed from last time, too. Now, it was a polar opposite. She wore the slimming fatigues of a black-ops soldier, a specific guerrilla appearance that seemed to fit her better than one would usually think. The large anti-Knightmare rifle that was used to destroy the Glasgow was lying across a small log, the frontal bipod already extended out. Large shell casings were scattered around, all of them still warm from previous use in the day. Trails of smoke lingered from countless other things, all of the shells exuding a smell along with the heat. From the large frame, she could tell that it was still an experimental weapon; many large words were imprinted on the side, words that she could hardly understand herself. Hardly, Kallen had barely seen the large 75mm uranium rounds before in her life, the small pistol bullets barely comparing to the other gun's. All in all, it was a pathetic peashooter, throwing her thoughts rampant. This was all done while she was waiting for a simple reply, the smaller girl fully turning her attention. "Well, I believe that it's been around a week now", she replied, smiling honestly, yet there was a small dark rim around each eye, a tired sound in each word she spoke. "It hasn't been that long, and I don't really mind it."

"But why are you even out here? And for a week?" The questions were genuine, a level of concern in her own voice. "Isn't the Versailles Regularia limiting these types of… activity?" The entire conflict went against the entire peace conference they had scheduled after the death of the emperor, the world instating a new policy. Aptly named after the city in France, it was one of the first treaties that Britannia had even agreed to be a part of. "I doubt a invisible war should even be happening…"

"Wake up, Kallen." A patriotic mood percolated into her, the fatigue sweeping away in a spirited fervor. Slowly, her left hand started clenching into a tight fist, the nails pressing violently into the skin. "You honestly believe that the corrupt Britannian dogs would honor something so pathetic to them… Their "consul" could probably care less about the mundane trifles of our governments. They only signed the damned thing so they could police the world without much concern from other countries. Our existence is just another reason for them to deploy their forces; they believe that we can't be trusted."

"Are you…"

"No, not at all. Even since the Black Rebellion, which was started by a Britannian, they don't believe that we can be simply trusted, or even left alone. To even have our own political agenda would be enough to rally their allies to "contain" us, again." She started moving around, a hastened pace, but only enough to walk off her slight rage. Sadness was also with her, more so than the anger.

"So, who sent you up here", Kallen asked, her mind trying to rationalize and sympathize with everything the younger girl was speaking of. Kaguya was turning into a headstrong woman, her mature personality a welcome change. However, the red-head could anticipate what she was going to say, but…

"Master Zero", she said, the obvious answer still surprising to the other guest who stood before her. Eyes wide, her mind started racing in circles.

_"I don't understand how Suzaku could have gotten control of the Black Knight's again… It doesn't make sense. I only though he was an envoy of Nunnally…" _As she looked at the Japanese girl, she only could hope that she understood the entire truth about the one she chose to call Zero. Both were obviously different, the apparent discrepancies coming out in basic conversation. And the assassination that had happened, Kaguya had been a witness to the event, with Lelouch still meaning something to her; the girl and her cousin were at completely different spectrums, their beliefs not the only thing they didn't share.

"Who else would have? Certainly not Prime Minister Tohdoh." That was the reason she held such disdain for the entire treaty, let alone time of peace. She, along with the Prime Minister, who had come into office shortly after the war ended, were Japan's representatives at the treaty signings, laying witness to the schemes that were laid out before them.

"But, Zero is…"

"I know who Zero is, Kallen!" It was beyond a surprise that she actually shouted back at her. Vivacious and full of energy, the fatigue just faded into the air, but Kaguya was slowly losing herself in a miasma of political nonsense.

_"Still have expressive feelings and emotions, I see …"_ Kallen mentally noted, her mouth beginning to taste a sour savor.

"That doesn't change the loyalty that I pledged to Zero; no, I still owe him that debt for freeing this world, or at least changing it enough for us to act and be independent. I'm not following the man in the suit, but the symbol…" She looked down to the ground.

"Even if it's your cousin, Suzaku…?" The question was painful to even say, as she could just feel the confusion boiling over in the young Kaguya. Moreover, she understood every aspect of it, but tried to ignore the entire thing. Still, just hearing the name made her blood boil, the traitor losing all respect from her family name.

"Yes", she answered, an ultimatum of sorts.

"As his Black Knight or as a personal soldier for his… misuse?" Kallen also didn't hold the traitorous Japanese man in high regard. Knowing Suzaku, she understood that he was an intelligent individual, but rather straightforward, not deceptive or conniving. But, it had been years since they last spoke.

"I'm a Black Knight, as I will always be." Although she wore the same outfit that Kallen had once wore, she wanted to her the answer, to fully acknowledge the fact. As the questions went on, Kaguya was becoming more abrasive, falling back into a small hole that she used as a basic shield. Even the old pewter, silver "v's" were embroidered into the hem of the collar, weathered and worn from the years of ages building upon disuse. "I don't understand why you would leave; it's more an honor, the status, not coming close to misuse. I can't say that I would have a better use of my time; I would rather be a revolutionary than a small, fragile china doll waiting to be enveloped by the useless emissaries that just bow over to Britannia."

"I could never forgive Suzaku, not now, never as Zero. It's even worse that he has to take up…" She paused before saying the name, it suddenly causing a certain distress in her. Kallen turned her back towards Kaguya, looking back up at the stars with a tear in her eye, on hand reaching up to wipe it off.

"So, you were one of the ones to leave us…" It came at a subtle surprise, as Kallen was still wearing the old jacket that they all had, the jet black compliment that went along with all the different covert suits they switched between. She draped it around her shoulders; the gusts that keep interrupting were brisk, inviting more than simple chills. From what she said, you could believe that she came to hate the group, but that wasn't the case; actually, she still held it in high regard, even finding them noble still. She could say this even knowing that they were spearheaded by her biggest rival, the one she wanted dead more than any other.

"Along with Ohgi and the others. I doubt that any of those who were originally in the organization are with you anymore."

"Hehe… Do you honestly believe that they all abandoned the connection and brotherhood they shared between themselves?"

"…"

"We still have many in our ranks, hidden, waiting for the right moment, when the world's guard is down. And it coming very soon." Kallen was getting very odd signals from what she was hearing. None of it seemed to be similar to the initial goal of the Black Knights.

_"The world? That… that doesn't make any sense." _"So", she started, trying to avert the conversation in a less awkward way, "have you been up here by yourself?" She understood that the tent was for more than just one person, but mostly it was to stop her from spreading her propaganda.

"No, actually. Sayako Shinozaki has accompanied me here on the word of Tohdoh. She is acting as an in-between for both our groups, as well as a government agent to register and report on the situation. I, too, was surprised when I originally heard that she was going to join me. It was something that I didn't think Tohdoh would ever do."

"Sayako and Tohdoh? They're both siding with you, I mean Zero?"

"Simply put that it's a common principle interest that we both have in the same goal. We followed the "strength-in-numbers" guidelines."

"What interest would that be?"

"The preservation of Japan's freedom, to put it bluntly. We are trying to tie together an attempt to fully route Britannia's forces from the area and set up a strong perimeter of defense around the entire island. In doing this, we would be sending a declaration showing them as an untrustworthy ally."

"…" Kallen held her tongue further from any questions, the answers that she was learning doing nothing to please her. They were ignominious, disgracing the name of both country and Black Knight. Not only that, but they all caused her head to spin, it starting to get too hard to understand where every faction was lying; she couldn't begin to delve into the political mystique surrounding everything.

Kaguya looked at her, not in a friendly manner, but rather scanning over her. Although her intentions were probably good, she couldn't start to let too many secrets slip, or even put a slim level of trust in her "friend".

"You must be quite tired, Kallen." She, at least, would allow a little hospitality towards the girl. "I've heard about everything that had happened down in Tokyo, and about all the events that've been following you. Even Gino had an interesting tale to tell about his meeting with you, you know?"

"Word travels fast, doesn't it…?"

"Easily."

"Sleep sounds great, actually. I have been running on empty ever since this morning. But, _you _should know that." She smirked, an accomplishment because she was slowly fading in and out of consciousness, the stars twinkling and dancing back and forth, slowly dying out in her vision.

"Oh, don't worry, but I will prepare a futon for you. Sayako will not be back this evening, so you will have quite a bit of room."

"Will you be joining me?"

"I apologize, but I must fulfill a few more of my agendas, as well as report back in. Master Zero's been waiting for my situation update. Don't worry, I won't do a single thing compromising to you, nor will I mention him to you." Her heart jumped a little, an tell-tale sign of her lying.

"Hm…"

"Don't believe me?"

"It's not that, but I just hope I can put a slight amount of trust in you." Both drooping eyes gave a look that was begging her to aid her in some way. Kaguya didn't reply but only nodded, reassuring a tired smile. As the girl turned to the tent, she bit her lower lip, shaking her head slightly. Kallen followed behind, not closely but enough to watch over as the other spread out the small bedding, moving out of the way. Kallen gave a stilted smile as she moved into the cramped tent.

Some silhouette stood in the tallest tree in the area, watching over the entire makeshift camp. It didn't stand out, meshing in well as the moon cast a long shadow which blanketed the entire countryside. Below the towering giant, it watched as Kaguya paced back and forth, her hand pressed up to the side of her head. She could just barely make out the words that she was saying, the hushed voice barely over the wind.

"Master Zero, this is outlook."

"Ah, Kaguya. To what do I owe this annoyance?" If loyal, she still felt herself at odds sometimes with the man behind the mask.

"I have a situation update, as well as some… news."

"With the Britannian forces, I would assume?"

"Indeed, sir." She took a breath, sighing loudly. "The main force has been pushed back to the point of their landing. Only a few stragglers are in the direct vicinity. However, they have a few covert reinforcements deploying around us, lining up in a strict triangle pattern. Also, we have lost an entire demolition brigade; for the other troops, I don't have any other updates. Most have been scattered and we don't know where they all are."

"This is good to hear. However, I want you to move away from your current location and move back to point Zeta."

"Sir?"

"We are going to have a massive back retreat. Leave the forward units, but call back all those that aren't currently engaged in an activity. Otherwise, we need you back in Tokyo, immediately."

"Tokyo?"

"I cannot tell you now. At Zeta, I have a dropship waiting to pick you and a few others up. Aboard, you will be debriefed about the situation. Until, I will have to hold off on the details."

"Yes, Master Zero. Oh, I also have something else that might interest you."

"Hmm?" There it was again, the awkward dialogue they would have to engage in. If it was out of official business, Suzaku was a very difficult person to speak to. He spoke with the same dignified tone as Lelouch, yet he never could attain the eloquence or passion that the previous Zero could maintain. He never seemed to share anything with the group, leaving them in the dark more than the last did, too.

"I have found Kallen Stadtfeld and have detained her in my camp. If you remember, she was the pilot of the Guren-"

"I still remember her, Kaguya." She could hear a smile creasing on the other line. "Kallen… Kallen, Kallen." He tapped his chin, the smile growing wickedly. "Keep her, but take her with you to Zeta. I have a group that would be able to take her and bring her to me." He folded his hands. "Remember that Britannia is looking for her, too. If they were to find the girl, I don't think that I have to remind you what would happen." He smiled, his hand dialing out another number.

"Yes, Sir."

"Also, don't forget about Sayako. We may be dealing with the Japanese government, but they aren't following the same orders as yourself, and I wouldn't be surprised if she had a secondary assignment. It would be wise for you to watch for her."

"Yes, Sir", she repeated, turning off the communicator. Still, Zero kept dialing the same number.

"Carine", he said, having another number dialed out. "I have some information that might be beneficial to you."

"Zero?"

* * *

It wasn't a simple nightmare that plagued and threatened the delicate mindset that Kallen often found her own mind in. Every time she dared to sleep, the thoughts crept up on her, sneaking with a back turned away from the truth. They were warped impressions of the truth, only twisted variations on the events of the day, falling into dark impressions. But some were real, hiding amongst the different flashes. Her spotted, rippled past would often meld together with whatever was near, a giant spotted oil painting that was constantly be changed due to her tumultuous life. Her blood, the cuts and wounds protruding from her body, spilt out, painting part of what was before her. The blood she spilt was there before her, both arms covered with the sanguine liquid up to each sleeve. They soaked her, a dark stain upon the black outfit, her hair clinging to her face, red drips falling to the floor. But, it hardly bothered her at all; ghosts of her past were the only beings that could bother her, the cursed faces that she had been involved with or know passing by her, hateful glances on all. That is, except for one person, the only who would leave her with a smile.

Slowly, she started walking down an endless path in a fog filled room, the roving waves of mist washing a clean, humid air over them all. Every step he took opened another floor before her, the ones behind falling into an abyss. Above, all the fluorescent lights shut off, Kallen stopping in her place. Below, a large stream blood started seeping through floor, a thin path weaving ahead of her. Automatically, her legs started moving forward, each step causing a large smeared print with each step. Still she kept going, turning left and right with each twist, until the path started to thin out, the blood losing itself in the path that became more visible, the brief outline showing itself as a door stood on the horizon. The knob was wet, her hand extending and opening the door with apprehension. Instantly, she fell from the floor she was standing on, a grassy knoll appearing below her, both feet landing on her. Standing herself up, she looked on at the scene.

Now, she stood by a lake, the small berth of it barely encompassing beyond the forest that stood at its northern edge. Dotted on the horizon, massive castles and palaces erected themselves, interspersed randomly around. The wind blew through comfortably, much better than then the wind that struck Japan. It looked like a scene directly out of a picture book, a beautiful painted scene that could only be painted by those with divine skill. It automatically caused her to smile, the serene weather reminding her of the many summers she had spend up in the north with her brother, the happy times they had all shared. That was a looming thoughts she didn't want bogging her mind up, the somber thought doing nothing to help the situation. No one was at the lake except for a figure that stood at the front of it, watching out as the many birds swooped in and out, fish jumping on the serene surface, a mirror-like sheen reflecting everything. The sun was high in the sky, at its zenith, watching over all else. Nothing appeared to have a shadow, yet the figure was, in his own accord, a shadow, dark and enigmatic. Time suddenly froze, leaving all placed in an infinite pause. All of the geese and swans were stopped mid-wing flap, fish half in and out of the lake. Water droplets splashed out, holding themselves on feet above the grasses.

Kallen called out towards it, her voice trying to travel beyond the confines of her own mind. It was a steel prison, blocking all that would come in and out of her. And her body wouldn't respect what her mind commanded it to do, both the legs and arms marching without her. Even her mind couldn't keep track of anything that was happening, it wandering away from whatever was on topic. Only one thing could maintain itself as an important though. Obviously, it was the single thought of Lelouch, the only thing that could have been standing before her. Slowly, the colorless figure started becoming distinct, his school outfit appearing around his body.

"Lelouch", she said, her voice returning to her. However, he couldn't hear, causing her to move a few steps up towards him. She felt like it was pointless, only heartbreaking to see him once again. It was playing against the fates, only serving to cause her distress and discomfort. Coming within feet of him, she chirped his name again, feeling unlike herself. She was crying on the inside, yet a smile was on her face.

"Stop", said a voice, alien to both of them. It was her inner thoughts, herself shouting at her, pressing her nails against the skull and scraping down. Even as they broke, it continued, the screech driving her to double over in pain. A wave rippled through her head, an instant headache. However, she broke the light control it had, pulling herself up off the floor. Still, the figure before her, Lelouch, didn't pay any heed towards her, his face still entranced towards the lake waters. "Stop", said a voice again, this time coming from the boy before her. Tears seemed to stream down her face upon hearing this, a compulsive feeling erupting from her welling spring of sadness.

"Why", she asked, trying to make the words audible between sobbing hiccups. There was no response, as she would have expected. Again she started moving towards him, her arms extending out for a touch that would bring a familiar feeling to her, a reciprocated feeling that she had been waiting to feel for the longest time. Her pace was a sobering gait, the strained steps tripping over themselves as one arm touched the shoulder of the boy, his face slowly turning. Only one eye became visible, the Geass command lit up in it, blood running down his mouth, an abrupt cough spitting out more of the fluid. Below, in his chest, the large sword wound hemorrhaging out blood. He started mumbling an incoherent language rumbling out some illogical rant. It surprised her, causing her to fall backwards in horror. The words turned to laughter, Lelouch spitting blood all over her body. She scrambled away from him, almost frightened to be near him. This happened every time she appeared upon him, the assassination scene playing out almost constantly. To continue, his head turned around entirely, a cruel smile coming upon him, a hand reaching down at the blade stuck in his chest. He bent over towards her, pressing the stained hand into her face, both eyes becoming clouded by blood. She kicked up at him, her leg landing directly into his stomach, and she was surprised; as was he, the figure, his face contorted into a writhing look, put on hand on the ground and fell over, his eyes rotating in his head. And Lelouch started to scream, a curdling howl that broke the barrier of time, scaring away the birds around them. Trees started to die, the wind picking up, lashing out and cutting across both faces. The grass started to pull away from both, receding into the distance, a hard, black surface left for them to lie upon. Fire seemed to fall from the sky, ash joining it; she had started to choke, her clothes slowly burning, the searing pain imprinting large scars across her skin. At the time she had gotten off the ground, she looked ahead at the large skeleton that was lying on the ground, the charred remains indifferent from the others she had seen through her campaign of violence.

"FAMILIAR", screamed a floating figure near her head, her own shadow springing up from the ground, a wicked smile on its distorted face. "Is it something that you enjoy seeing, a pain that you wish to jump upon with a sickening desire?"

"…" The words rang through, the death dealer suddenly finding herself with a handgun, Naoto's gun. It automatically pointed up at a defenseless man who stood before her, his appearance created by all those dead. The shadow crept out of the barrel, waiting for an action, which she could no longer hid by calling it automatic. They were all caused by her will; there was no other way of saying it.

"Pull the trigger, for me", it cooed, appearing more and more like her with every growing minute. All she could simply do was listen; the trigger was pulled and the figure ripped apart, each fragment pulling into a lesser vortex. Further she fell into the depths of her dreams, waking a fleeting thought.

Again stood Zero, his outfit different from the simple one that he had been seen with previously, before her, the white room similar to the one she had started in. Now, he wore the imperial one, an ornate aura aerating from his form. There was little to say, no small mind game to pass back and forth, their alliances known to each other. But he appeared as he had once, at the time of weakness, his wrist pressed against the Refrain. Her mind jumped at this, a hand slapping the hand that held nothing. Still, he understood, smiling, and turned to the girl, a genuine sign of happiness on him. She felt as she had once before, the devout Black Knight taking over her feeling, him being her finest opponent, but not on the battlefield. Creator and destroyer, he knew not how to handle such a person, such raw emotion; he would try and hid in the bastion in his heart, but allow slight weakness, if only to see her.

Stepping up to him, she gazed up at him, the normal eyes rimmed by the visible contacts, yet it gave her no bad connotation. They rippled, a beautiful sea and microcosm created in the midst of it all. Storms surrounded the edges but he would never allow them in, not to ruin what little he had left. Kallen felt hypnotized, as if a mind control without the use of the Geass had taken her over. I guess they could call it affection. He shared the same feeling with her, both arms wrapping around her shoulders, a warm embrace. She followed suit, closing her head into his chest. The false ground didn't faze her this time, only their meeting glance holding the seemingly fragile world together. Finally, they kissed, and although he was exuding a type of love, it felt as it had one year ago, indifferent to him. It only split her dream apart, pulling her away from her feeling, the shadow smiling as it watched from afar. Before she vanished from the phantasm, she watched the shadow absorb him completely. It left her screaming.

* * *

"Master Zero", shouted Kaguya, her hand loading a large clip into the spare rifle that she had grabbed again. Upon pulling back the register, she started firing off rounds at the shadow that trailed away. It darted back and forth, the bullets going wide and smacking into the Earth, the dirt coming closer to her than the rounds.

"Kaguya, what is this interruption about?!" He sounded very angry, his voice fraught with beyond the usual expressionless talk. Gunshots broke through the sound, causing Zero to jump a little.

"Sayako has taken Kallen and escaped. What do you want me to do?" She threw the second clip, her last one, into the gun. It almost started firing instantly, the second the bullets entered the barrel. Slowly, they disappeared from her entire sight.

"…"

"Master, what the hell should I do?" She started chasing after them, the empty gun being tossed aside. A pistol replaced it place, the empty castings going everywhere, Kaguya leaving them to fall aside into nature.

"Nothing, nothing at all. Do not chase them, okay? I need you elsewhere. I say again, do not deviate from the plan! They are only a small concelation; just let them go."

"Y-yes, Master Zero." He hung up instantly, returning to whatever pressing matter he was attending. "Sayako…" She held her hand up to her heart and dropped the pistol, it discharging wildly into grass. It perfectly mixed in with the chaotic storm that was starting to brew, the wild thunder and lightning rippling through the skies with reckless abandon.

* * *

Kallen barely had any time to react to the situation, a knife slowly cutting through the tent that she slept in, Sayako wielding the kunai. However, Kaguya caught on and instantly threw open the tent flap, watching as both started stumbling away from the area. And then the bullets started chasing them, her mind rattling back and forth with each unconscious step. Beyond that were the cannons rupturing the peace, powerful waves of fire launching up into the sky. Her eyes searched for something familiar, the landscape racing by her, frightened leaves scattering in the new winds. Somebody said something, the voice distorted, but it may have been all of the different sounds around them. It was all lost in a massive swirl of translation, a wispy flail of life that pushed itself up, losing track of all else.

"Kallen", said the figure again. The green forests died out around them. A surprising pasture rolled out before them, them moving back towards the area she had originally started at. Then the realization struck her: she had intended to be up there for a specific reason, that slowly fading to nothing. Sayako said the same thing the third and forth time, her voice growing with irritation after each passing breath. The path fell forward, her tripping even further, nearly falling directly over the one pulling her along. A car came up only feet away, Sayako slamming into the metal surface. Throwing open one door, she tossed the girl inside and leapt over the entire vehicle, moving to the other door. Within seconds, she had hotwired it and slowly, it moved down the dirt road with a fair speed. It happened so fast, it all felt so surreal.

"What-"

"Kallen, come on." Gently, the older girl started patting her face, softly at first to wake her up. It worked, Kallen blinking rapidly and shaking off the fatigue.

"I'm up, I'm up." She was still surprised at how quickly they had moved from the camp, the car rumbling oddly. "Why did you wake me up?"

"You were about to be kidnapped."

"Aren't you laying it on a little thickly? I'm mean, I'm just waking up. And what, weren't we just shot at?"

"Yes, exactly."

"…"

"Don't worry too much about the details." Sayako turned the wheel onto the main road, speeding down at a growing pace. Behind them, a purple Glasgow shot into the night, heading in the opposite direction.

At the Britannian camp, Gino sat, rubbing a sore arm, as he watched the mecha fly into the sky. Smiling, he watched as the last convoy of troops got out, him getting up to get about the leaving craft. "So, Kallen. It's interesting to know that you're into this, again. Quite a turn, isn't it…" He started leaving, laughing to himself.

* * *

**As always... Nope, still have nothing. -AMP**


	5. Turn 5: Twisted Checkmate

**Hey everybody. I'm back, and sorry for taking foreeeever on this update. Busy, busy, etc. But you already know all of that. As a consolation, I will hasten my update for chapter 6, it already in the works. Hopefully, i will update in a matter of days, rather than weeks. Also, i have a new poll question, for i might put a new story up. IF YOU CARE (and know the series) you can vote for a story you'd rather see (or not if you don't want to). Anyway, thanks and i hope to be here again relatively soon. **

* * *

A small four door shuttle, completely matte black, gently hovered above the quiet streets of Tokyo, the streetlights reflecting a pale yellow light off the glossy surface. It motored off the beaten path, easily avoiding most of the city's traffic and attention. Overhead, large freeway ramps and roads streaked back and forth, yet the sound was absent, as if an invisible sound barrier was above them. The vehicle, a covert craft, snuck into the city only minutes ago, driving the dirt paths into the dark tunnels that once were the main pathways before the city modernized under Britannia's control. But even the Britannian city had changed too; the F.L.E.I.J.A. warhead saw to that, and now, it started to show the distinct charm and look of the once free city of Tokyo. In taking a breath, you could feel the amicable change that was floating around. The black car pulled up to a large building, having come to a more congested area; however, the streets were absent, no headlights illuminating the long stretch of pavement that lead along most of the taller buildings in the Shinjuku district. Behind the building, the large circle shape of the old crater still remained, hauntingly at that.

"Damn", said one of the men, opening the left back door. He was wearing the least obtrusive outfit of the other three, his skintight black mesh suit only accompanied by a small belt and backpack. No one else replied to him, just killing the car's engine. They all wore similar suits, yet each had some personal flair. The driver leaned underneath the steering wheel, pressing a small button that opened the truck with a small click.

"Everyone, grab a weapon. And kill all radio chatter. I don't want anybody picking up any trace of us", finished the leader of the group, her soft voice detracting away from the intimidating look of her group. There was only a subtle hint of icy efficiency behind it. The others nodded and moved to the back; four modified rifles sat, their barrels lying off in some small case. Ammo was neatly in rows, the respective clips close by. One by one, they collected their weapons, stringing them around their backs. None put it together, saving that for when they arrived at the final destination. After shutting the trunk, the group backed into the hanging shadows that washed over the streets. The towering tower was dark, all of its lights off, giving it a more ominous look. They looked amongst each other, the leader pressing a small button on the ignition brick for the car. Headlights off, it started up and automatically drove itself away from the group, turning down another streets, hiding in one of the dilapidated alleyways. Masks now hid their faces, the charcoal rubber pressing against their faces. Totally, they looked like something non-human, every aspect of them covered up.

"Alpha Zero, checking in. We are in yellow waiting for green confirmation." A male had called in, his voice much deeper than any of the others.

"Alpha, this is base. We have EZ atop the Shinjuku tower, waiting for your place. All call-signs are in check, every green light is an up. You have the go ahead." The sharp, crisp sound died, waiting for a reply. Their base had one of the area's best radio receivers, all of which were perfect for watching over the entire area.

"Roger, base. We'll check back in once we've set up shop." He gave the thumbs up to the commander of the operation, who pulled out a small pistol. The others followed suit, the communicator turning his headset off. Nearby, the empty road started to garner a little attention, a few colorful cars zipping along with tremendous speed. Everything was quiet except for the sound of tires rumbling along the broken road. Slinking softly, the group unanimously shot their small grappling pistols up at the roof of the building which sat hundreds of feet above. Steadily, they started pulling themselves up, their boots easily sticking them to the side of the building, allowing them balance. A police siren blazed by, the blinking lights barely missing those who scaled the area. In a simple matter of minutes, they had all pulled themselves up, hardly without breaking a sweat. At the top, they glanced over the city, watching it with amazement. It was beautiful spectacle, the tower they were on situated to give a panoramic view to whoever stopped atop it. The commander glanced down at the watch around her wrist; the time was 2:49 in the morning. They would have a few more hours of darkness before any part of their plan started to come into fruition. She shrugged it off and undid the rope tether around her body, throwing the tangled rope in a corner. Fatigue hadn't crept up on her in a while, but that evening, she was starting to feel tired. For the last few different weeks, neither she nor her company of troops had been assigned a mission. In laymen's terms, she was growing lazier; the militant lifestyle was also growing uncomfortable. Only after a few days of required target shooting, she had started to warm back up to her old combative mentality, yet it was far from the "Rambo" mindset that had plagued many of her comrades early in their training. The commander looked over at her troops, the weary men barely pacing back and forth as they slowly put their guns together. A lethargic pace came over them, her automatically assuming the sleepy aura the cause of the entire situation. She gave one last look over at her men before turning back to the giant city, her head resting on her arms.

"Base, have overwatch come in. We've set up shop and have all green lights. Everyone is ready for orders." He looked over his rifle, a prototype amongst the massive different rifles that were scattered around the normal armories in their base. They were all anti-material weapons, strong enough to punch holes in the armor of most vehicles, even small tanks.

"This is overwatch. We'll have your orders soon. You'll have to wait until we issue them before you act. It is imperative that you maintain your stealth; if any of you are witnessed before the correct time, the entire operation is void. Are we clear?"

"Indeed." He pulled back the register, loading a single bullet, a 12.7mm cartridge, into the chamber, a resounding click coming from the large rifle. All of the others followed suit, except for the leader who still was spacing out, her attention directed towards something else. "Captain? You hear any of this?" They all had headsets, the same orders being spoken directly towards them as well. She nodded, not turning her head away. "Overwatch, we're all clear."

"Good", said the voice. It had a slight Japanese tone to it.

* * *

The small military jeep rumbled through the many different streets outside the city limits of Tokyo, Sayako and Kallen bumping up and down with each small bump they hit. All four tires on the vehicle rattled on the axels, spinning with incredible speed as it started to speed up along the highway. Kallen was fully awake, her spinning thoughts occupying her enough; Sayako was starting to get tired herself, having been out in the field for almost three days without sleep. Day was starting to break, the sun shining up behind them. It reflected in the overhead mirror, blinding the driver slightly. She took one hand off the wheel, putting it above her head as she squinted forwards, trying to make out the road. Mount Fuji rose up ahead of them, the city wrapping around it further down. The white capped undisturbed side of the mountain shone brightly, the bright sheen running down to the large Sakuradite mines that were built at the bottom of it. Kallen, however, ignored everything about it, looking down at the small handgun with the name "Naoto" engraved in the side. It was a little dirty, mud spots spattered around the grip and slide. An acrid smell lingered around barrel, two rounds missing from the clip. She ejected it, grabbing two smaller rounds that were lying around the truck's cab. Upon putting them into the clip, she slapped it into the gun, pulling back the slide. Sayako looked over at her, a wry smile across her face. She preferred knives, the many small blades hanging around her small belt that hid beneath her military uniform. But that hardly mattered at all. Now, they just needed to get into the government district of Tokyo, if only to speak directly to Prime Minster Tohdoh. Although awake, the younger girl was still out of it, Sayako could tell that much.

"Hey, Kallen", she spoke, nudging the girl lightly. Both eyes turned towards her, the questioning look almost gazing directly past her. "We're almost in Tokyo, if you couldn't tell. I don't know what will happen, but we both need you getting ready for anything, okay?"

"Yeah", she replied, her voice revealing how unsure she was about what was happening. To their left, a small police cruiser rushed by, its sirens on. It kept going, passing them at what was well beyond the speed limit. It caused the girl to fully perk up, her arm going behind her, the gun lower but ready to snap up.

"Do you know where we're going?"

"I believe to the downtown area. If Tohdoh's having his speech today, then we'll have to get their relatively quickly. And with the crowds that will gather…"

"Exactly-"

"But", Kallen interrupted. "Can we stop and see how Ohgi's doing? We haven't spoken in what seems like ages… And, he was the Prime Minster, if only for a few days."

"Sure, but you'll have to tell me where he lives. His family moved a little while ago and I haven't been able to find him." This was a lie, only to keep until she could totally assure herself about Kallen's alliance. Both people were part of the same organization, Japan's standing army of spies.

"I know where he is. It's just barely on the outskirts of Shinjuku, near the Emperor's second palace. You know where that is, right?"

"Yeah", replied Sayako and turned the vehicle right, moving into oncoming lane for a split second. "But, we're going to take the back roads if that's okay with you." She turned again, and they were in dark alleyway, zooming along as they dodged trashcans and other rubbish. Kallen started to smile, her looking back as they moved through the labyrinthine corridors that were the interior passages of the city of Tokyo.

_"Lelouch, where are you in all of this?" _He was still nowhere to be seen, his "death" becoming more real with each passing day. It wasn't that she was losing hope; if anything, she believe that he was alive twice as much, but the proof was slowly fading. And she knew it.

The military vehicle pulled up to one of the large manor complexes lined up along the street, the entire area completely devoid of life. Cats hid in shadows as they watched the girl dressed as a solder step out, looking over the area with a discerning eye. Another joined her, her red hair dangling all over the place. The daunting gate towered above them, having been locked for almost weeks now. Kallen jumped up, grabbing the top of the gate and pulling herself over; it was a fluid exercise, happening in a matter of seconds. Sayako did better, vaulting directly over the gate without a running start. Kallen drew her gun, holding it down as they both moved to the front door.

"Want to knock it?"

"Unless you want to." Kallen stepped forward, rapping the door with a considerable amount of force. They waited, and waited, and waited, but no one came, both women exchanging skeptic looks. "So, are we going to look inside?"

"You wanted to check up on him."

"Want me to break down the door?"

"If there's no other way in… But, you don't have to answer that." She turned and fired two rounds into the side of the door, breaking the hinges off. A simple kick saw the door fall to the ground, a thunderous slam resulting from it. Dust shot up, revealing how empty the house had been. No one was home, and then it clicked. Ohgi now belonged to the Secret Japanese Defense Force, along with a couple of others who had been with the Black Knights. Pictures were scattered everywhere, the rooms completely dark. Curtains and blinds were drawn, making it further ominous. They had been called back to assume a certain, hidden role after much of Zero's domain had crumbled. It was another reason that Ohgi gave up his position as the Prime Minister, finding it a better role for Tohdoh.

"Any idea where he could be", asked Sayako.

"Hopefully with Tohdoh." However, there was no way in hell she could give a good guess where he was. Sayako knew this, though. Ohgi had been participating in the entire plan from the beginning, but he still hung in the shadows, leaving the major schemes to the others.

"Well, we're going to need to hurry up, Kallen. I was up near Morioka because of the entire thing Tohdoh has planned today."

"The battle's that close to Morioka?" Sayako nodded to her, turning and leaving to head out the front door. She wished to waste no more time at the place, as it had been a wild goose chase from the start. Kallen came after her, scampering over the gate as they both returned to their car. They got in and Sayako turned the ignition on, the engine rumbling to life. "Was it really Tohdoh who had sent you up north?"

"Yeah, just because of an entire conspiracy that we believe is taking place. He's worried about something big right now."

"I understand that." Kallen realized that there was a conspiracy, partially because she had seen the entire thing partially first hand. The car moved along, getting further away from the house. It would be a few minutes before anybody reacted to the break-in. They were silent for a few minutes until Sayako brought something up.

"So, why are you so worried about Ohgi? He's old enough to take care of himself, you know that."

"Ever since the entire Prime Minister situation… Basically, he just kind of became a recluse after he left his post. At least, I lost contact with him. He sent a letter to me telling me he moved, but that's about it."

"But, you have reserved feelings, right?" The question caught her off guard, but she just looked at the other confused.

"No. He's more of a big brother to me." Automatically, she looked down at the gun in her hand. _"Naoto, Ohgi. Heh, those were the days, weren't they? Just when we started off as that small group… It's still hard to believe that you died so easily…" _She didn't want to cry, but a single tear started to roll down her cheek.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean anything by it."

"No, it's fine." But did she feel fine? Simply, no. And then, she started to think of Lelouch, every moment that they shared. Again, she laughed in her head. Everything she was related with seemed to turn out tragic, leaving her behind as time rolled on. "No, it's fine", she repeated. And they were silent for the remainder of the trip. Neither noticed the shadows slinking around the darkness, the clouds rolling in to drape a veil over the entire area.

* * *

"Tohdoh, I still believe that you should move your announcement to another time. Or stop the entire thing completely. Consider the intel we've just recently received… It's utter foolishness to continue this." Nagisa Chiba turned her back to the man who was putting on the last part of his grand attire. "Besides, Sayako isn't even back yet and you promised that you would wait for her council first."

"Nagisa, I am sorry but we can't wait any longer for this entire event to happen, and I refuse to stop this event. It's that important, believe me." He smoothed down one of his shoulders, brushing his hair to one side out of his eyes. Behind him, a few different people rushed back and forth, all checking something nonsensical or technical. A small boy, no older than 18, came up and handed the Prime Minister a small box, a few different medals inside. They were all the awards he had earned during his multiple tours of duty. Smiling, he grabbed the two smaller ones and closed the box, the young boy promptly walking away. "How do these two look? You have the same two, if I'm not mistaken…"

"Tohdoh, please." She moved a little closer, grabbing one from his hand, as if to inspect it closer. Rolling her eyes, Nagisa pinned it on herself, backing out of Tohdoh's reach.

"Not only that, but this is an important declaration to those who in a similar situation like us. It could throw the entire balance of power off; in fact, that's exactly what I want to do. Most of the world doesn't realize what's going on, the lies that Britannia is spreading to us, to the entire continent of Asia." He reached out, Nagisa stepping away even further.

"You know they are, that's all that's important. The world doesn't need to know, especially considering the… repercussions."

"I agree with Nagisa", said Kaguya, her uncomfortably traditional outfit showing how stiff she was. Each motion took another to shift comfortably, even if she was just standing for a mere second. The girl had joined the group hours ago, returning as to them as if she had never been gone at all. On the accounting of gathering intel, she was allowed to move freely amongst them, fooling them all. However, at any mention of Sayako, she bit her lip, turning around to stay out of the conversation. And, having spent many recent hours with them, it gave her a less suspicious look. Still, she was anxious, perhaps because of the small pistol clipped to the side of her thigh, hiding beneath the large outfit. "And of course they're waiting for the perfect advantage. When else will there be a time they can strike?"

"Nagisa, how many have you rallied for your support?" He teased at asking this, but still looked back and forth at the expressions on each face. Kaguya's was, of course, faking the best she could.

"Tohdoh, please don't do this. We can broadcast our own message, in the safety of something fortified. Anything without risking personally; please, I am just begging you." Behind them, the sound of a crowd was gathering, instantly welling up from the silence. It only made most of them more anxious, Tohdoh the only one waiting for the specific moment.

"Hear that? I can't let that down." It still grew in ferocity, all thoughts slurring around as basic conversation was beginning to unravel itself into nothing. "I will have no more arguing about this, Nagisa. Please, for me." He shook his head once more and turned around, marching off away as the one girl reached out. She grabbed his arm, turning him around quickly with relative force.

"Just reconsider, if only for a second." Before their eyes locked for long, she reached out and kissed him passionately, Kaguya gasping behind them. For a split second, she actually felt bad about conspiring against them. But she had crossed the Rubicon far too long ago. Time seemed to slow, even Tohdoh caught off guard. He pushed off, his steel eyes meeting with her watery ones.

"This is beyond you, Nagisa. I… I'm sorry, but this is for the future, our future."

"But what future will you have if you don't make it through this present?" He ignored this and moved out of the tent, the girl left behind to wipe her eyes. Tohdoh stopped once more before completely separating them all.

"Kaguya, please go fetch Ohgi, please. Tell him that it's time. And once you're done, you can move outside with the regular plan."

"Yes, Prime Minster." She addressed him formal, if only to specify that she was willing to take orders. She turned and left, leaving the couple lost between the thin veils that separated them all.

"So, Tohdoh", Nagisa started to ask. "Why must you always insist on sacrificing yourself in every instance? This is not a battle; this is why I do not understand."

"But you are that sure that it is trap? What if it could actually extend the olive branch out towards our enemies, to insure a future for oncoming generations? I would sacrifice anything for a future like that. Anything." He took a long, raspy breath inward. "Japan needs to know who stands beside her, regardless."

"You would even sacrifice me?"

"I wouldn't need to, nor would I want to. Nagisa, you shouldn't delve into the acts that I throw myself into. It… would be a waste."

"Then, there is no persuading you?" She couldn't stop asking the same question, his voice keeping her intact at those fragile moments. "I guess that's what I've always liked about you, Tohdoh. Your dedication is completely inspiring, if not to say torturing. That's to say the least." A tear, then two more, rolled down her face, Tohdoh starting to choke up as well. She reached out a hand, grabbing his but hiding her face. Clutching it strongly, he held it to his chest and dropped it. The last thing she heard before she left was his swift footsteps clopping away.

"I'm sorry", he said, leaving her hand falling to her side. Nagisa smiled, falling on her knees. She would never smile again. "I am truly sorry, Nagisa. I never wished to thrust this on you." He walked out into the stage, the joyous cries welcoming him.

* * *

All of the crowds swelled beyond what a normal crowd was considered, almost everyone in the area attending the occasion. Those who weren't physically there were probably waiting in the wings, their televisions tuned to the channels expected to show the thing worldwide. Zero, having a spy network filming the event for him, was watching from a small room in the Chinese-Britannian embassy in Hong Kong, his home for the past few days. He had told the entire group that he had come as an envoy for Japan, yet Xingke carefully watched him, him still one of the only people suspicious of the masked man. He stood in the room, the young empress with him also.

"Zero, what do you expect in all this? It's obviously a welcome for someone to make a move; in your position, I would assume that you have some plot ready to deploy. Am I correct, Zero?" Li Xingke gripped his sword, as usual, staring directly at the mask. Zero, however, looked ahead at the television, completely ignoring his forward gaze. The young empress, Jiang Lihua, or Tianzi, looked at the floor, her youth giving more reason to feel awkward in the adults mind games. Zhou Xianglin was walking down the hall, her attention captured by one of Xingke's outbursts. Silently, she crept up to the door and pressed her ear against it, listening in on the meeting.

"Nothing", he replied flatly, twirling a small chess piece. Zero now tried in all regards to act like the last Zero, at least in public appearances. It gave him more political leeway, leaving him thought as the original. "If anything, I wish to see how the Japanese government is going to handle this "peace". They would have to have noticed the subtle invasion, if not the constantly supplied troops. It's as if they are trying to ignore all that is happening."

"Yet what would you call the Britannian presence in China? And then there is your own shadow militia. They hide in every corner, every place they can, correct? You probably have one of them watching us now."

"My friend, I don't understand the implications of your words. If I were to be watching you, would I show myself so blatantly?" He still looked at the television, the crowd getting impatient. "Besides, Xingke, I thought you had ducked out of the country for that exact reason. I thought that you had left your own scullery maids to watch over me while you hide away, planning for the worst. Am I correct?"

"Zero, you speak out of turn. I am not your friend, nor will I ever be; as well, do not address Her Majesty as such. If you dare to speak out as such again, I will do well to make sure that all of the fault will lie on my blade. It will do you well to speak with less freedom than you are usually associated." His hand started to reach out for the blade, a small sliver of the sharp sword being shone.

"Xingke, please", said Tianzi, her voice soft. She was nervously looking at the floor; her seating was feet away form Zero.

"Your Majesty, I…I am sorry." He sheathed the weapon, bowing to the skeptic girl.

"Heh. Well, I apologize, Xingke. I didn't realize the extent of how you felt." There was an obvious sarcastic tone in his voice, the tone of superiority wearing thin on all of them.

"I'm surprised, still", the Chinese man replied, ignoring the last remark. "Do you constantly forgo all those you have associated; do you forget the world that you use to live with?" He moved over and sat down next to Tianzi, her looking up with a cheerful smile towards him. Nodding with a smile, he brought a hand over, resting it on her leg.

"…" It wasn't that he didn't have a rude chide to throw back; it was that he was focused on something more important. "Again, _please _forgive my rudeness." Even if he had been slightly backed into a corner, he would always have an ace: his disposition. To even further the rudeness, his phone suddenly rang, breaking the awkward feelings in the room.

"Master Zero, do you know of the Britannian forces deployed around the area? Specifically, I am speaking of the four spec ops…" The voice was female, a sharp, witty voice.

"Indeed, I do. I have others watching the group. They have orders to act upon the slightest indication that the other team has moved." He paused for a second, looking back at the others in the room. A few guards had joined their ranks, crowding the room. Zero smiled beneath the mask. Holding the phone away, he bowed low. "I apologize, Your Majesty, but I must take a short leave." He left the room, passing the other girl who was previously listening in on them all. "Are you watching…" he continued, the patient girl on the phone still waiting.

"Yes, I am currently looking at them now."

"Good. Continue reconnaissance. You have your orders." The other line hung up, prompting him to do the same. When he looked back into the room, not a soul lingered around, everyone having left the small room. Above, a single camera focused intently on Zero, zooming in on him as he smiled beneath the mask.

* * *

The minute that Tohdoh had stepped out before the massive crowd, they all fell silent, all staring at him with complete attention. He stepped up to the microphone, everyone waiting with apprehension.

"Long live Japan!" His vibrant words launched out at the people, blowing over their heads like a cool breeze. Everyone was awestruck, a patriotic fervor starting to well in each soul. It was then that the silence ended, the crowd repeating the three simple words with a tremendous force. In the distance, a car pulled up to the exterior gates that housed the huge crowd. Kallen and Sayako stepped out, the latter leaping up atop the walls. Kallen pushed through the massive crowd, running by shunting people off either shoulder. Their goal was simple: to get Tohdoh's attention. The hardest part of the task would be to match the volume of both the crowd and the speaker's voice.

"Tohdoh", they shouted together, trying to direct as much attention to them as possible. With a few steps, the kunoichi jumped down on the stage, only steps away from the Prime Minister.

"Get off the stage", yelled Kallen, pulling herself up to the other two. By then, Kaguya had moved out onto the stage, her hand grabbing the pistol. And then, a loud sniper shot rang out, the large bullet slamming into the stage only mere feet away from the leader of Japan. Everyone in the crowd started to scream, Sayako pulling the Minister into a safety zone. Guards started to file in, blocking off the stage. Others jumped into vehicles, driving towards where they thought the shots came from. A few more rounds came out, smashing into the wooden stage. If one looked out towards the Japanese soldiers, you could see a few Britannian men moving into a position, sealing off the courtyard.

"Sir", said Sayako, unsheathing a small tanto from her belt. Grabbing the man, she held the knife back and pushed him further into the complex, soldiers rushing back and forth as they tried to block any passage off. Kaguya stood near the emergency exit, waving at a few soldiers. One approached her and she whispered something to him, the man running over to Kallen and Sayako. She watched as more Britannian soldiers came into the area, the Japanese finally differentiating between both.

"Sayako, come on", said Kallen, but the other girl would have none of it. She rushed out, throwing blades back and forth through the crowd, dodging the oncoming fire from a few different sides. "Dammit, Sayako."

"Kallen, what the hell are you doing here?" It was Tohdoh who asked this, a few different soldiers trying to push him along.

"We're here to warn you about an attempt on your life. As you saw." She breathed heavily, her chest rhythmically moving up and down. Slowly, she grabbed her gun out and flipped the safety off.

"Sir, we don't have time for this. We need you out of here", said the commanding officer of the troops guarding him.

"Yes, of course."

"Tohdoh, just be careful, please." She turned to the battle growing outside, leaving the man before he could respond to whatever he would have said. A few other men joined her, their guns drawn and ready. Once out of the other girls' earshot, Kaguya came and grabbed the Prime Minister, pulling him towards the car.

"Come on, we have to get out of here!" They both were pushed along, situated in the armored limo. Almost as soon as they both sat down, the vehicle took off, three other military trucks following as an escort. "They will be able to take care of themselves."

"I'm more worried about Nagisa. I didn't see what had happened to her after the entire thing."

"She moved out in another transport. Almost all of the important members of the area have been moved out. "

"Good." He paused, trying to look ahead. The window blocking off the driver was black, the road ahead hidden. He ignored this. "Did you happen to catch who had attacked us?"

"We believe that it had been Britannian forces. They had started to move into the area after the Japanese troops reacted to the situation. We're looking into who had fired the first shots. I believe that our troops are moving to the alleged area."

"Damn. I didn't believe that they would try something so blatant, so outward. We had people broadcasting the entire thing, too. If the world saw them attack, they are going to react accordingly. They made the first steps to their own grave."

"Wasn't this the entire point of the speech? To draw out our enemies, especially Britannian supporters and the army itself?" He nodded, looking ahead once more. "I'm sorry, Prime Minister, but Master Zero doesn't want that to happen." She grabbed the pistol she had, bringing it out and pointing it at him. "The real reason that Sayako had come was to warn you of me. I have been spying on you for Zero for quite some time, now."

"Kaguya, why… You would betray your own country?"

"NO! Zero is looking out for the county of Japan, much better than the job that you are doing. Even in the past, he was looking out for the area much better than the job you could do. Suzaku is but no threat; he is the only one who can truly save Japan. Every action comes closer to our freedom, back to the golden era of our nation."

"And I have to die for this?"

"You did say you would easily sacrifice yourself to further a future for the proud nation in which you live. This is an easy alternative."

"How sad."

"I apologize for this, Tohdoh. I really do", she finished, looked down and fired off three rounds towards the man. The proud warrior slumped backwards, the seat behind him bloodied. He coughed twice, looked up and reached out, resting a hand on the arm holding the gun up. Finally, he closed his eyes, permanently. The car kept driving, as if nothing had happened at all.

* * *

"Ohgi" shouted one of the remaining council members. They were all gathered in a complex a few blocks away from the epicenter of the courtyard attack. They had their own men filming the entire even, each watching as the situation started to wind down. Another camera showed a different scene, a limousine pulling up and dropping a body out of a car. Unanimously, the group gasped. "We believe that we've found… Tohdoh. Dead."

"What?!"

"And", he continued, turning back to the original camera. On it, two women were lying down on the ground as tens of troops surrounded them, their guns drawn to their heads. It was obvious as to who each woman was. "Sayako and a few other soldiers have been captured by Britannian forces."

"Put it up on the large monitor." They did so, the grainy image showing up on a large television for them all to see. "Shit", he cursed.

"Ohgi, what are we going to do? You might have to assume the role of Prime Minister, again. You have been assigned as the second to replace him."

"I know, I know." A few soldiers outside looked out one of the windows, watching as the Britannian troops marched out of the city, their invasion regarded as a measure of retaining safety. However, none of the world would realize or believe what had happened during those few short hours. Kallen, her arms and legs detained, looked out the Plexiglas window at the burning streets, bullet holes and singed grasses left as a reminder. Yet, they had done nothing to them, provoking the wrath of the "overlord" nation. Kallen was by herself, kept alone as she had caused more damage then the other they had captured. But, they were not under Carine's direct orders. And the young girls would both be used a leverage, as bargaining chips to help further the effort. In the end, they would be executed, for some unknown reason, for something unjust. She prayed that someone would come for her. She didn't care who.

* * *

**The next chapter will finally have Lelouch in it, and the main plot will really start to flesh out. I'm getting excited! Anyway, read and please, please, please review. I'll take anything i can get! Thanks ;) -AMP**


	6. Turn 6: The Demon and Zero

**Chapter 6 is now up (duh...). This is definately the longest so far, almost twice the size as the last few. And this one actually has Lelouch in it... The story's focus is going to shift heavily on Kallen and Lelouch after this, but i have to write how they start to warm back up to each other. But, i have many ideas for the direction this story is going and this one is taking up most of my focus in storywriting... But, enough of me prattling on. Enjoy ch. 6. **

* * *

"Takahata, please report to the main bay armory in Hall A for debriefing and pre op weapons check. I repeat," announced a small speaker that stood in every corridor, a young man, his small initial combat under-mesh already on, rushing on by each one as he moved towards the armory. Along with the thin layered suit, he had a small combat mask on, it encompassing his entire head in a small, thin shell. Slowly, he caught up with another soldier who was wearing something similar, her having been called down only moments before him; Mai was also expecting something from the mission, her well aware of the situation. Deploying with the group, she had an apparent ulterior motive for joining. None knew, however. The hall continued for only a few more feet, their equal step keeping both in a neat line. Finally, both arrive in the small armory, one the military used less then the other main ones in the base. Almost completely empty, only two other soldiers accompanied them in the room: Nagisa Chiba and another man they both didn't know. He had already equipped all of him armor, his impatient footsteps rhythmically bobbing up and down as he gave the other girl a steady beat to suit up with. Tate Takahata and Mai Kaguraka both had the least experience amongst the others, both still slightly surprised why they were chosen to accompany the better spec ops troops. They exchanged skeptic looks, Tate trying to display an awkward smile through the mask he wore.

"Glad you both could come," said the commander, appearing behind both of them. Neither was surprised, only turning on a heel to face the eldest man in the base. Obviously, he wore a strict uniform, parading his medals around. Next to him, a small screen rolled down from the ceiling, blurring as the static cleared up and revealed a blue screen. "Now, we must quickly go through this; time is a very important matter in the operation." He pressed a small button in the corner of the room, Ohgi's upper torso appearing on the blue screen, a few different people seated in a circular table behind them. He was wearing the formal Prime Minister attire, the shirked responsibility slowly coming back to him. This time, he met the position head on, his new idealistic opinion renewing a refreshing spirit into the withering one that Japan was slowly falling into. Before he started to speak, someone in the background spoke to him, whispering a few inaudible words in his ear. Ohgi nodded and turned his attention towards the group again.

"We've no time for formalities, I'm afraid." He coughed, straightening his tie. "As the situation stands, the Britannian army had attacked us down at the Main Palace. Here," he said, pressing a small button on a remote. Film appeared showing the onslaught, troops swelling into the area, firing randomly on the civilian mass that tried to escape. Blood stained every corner, the troops moving up to the palace steps were a stage had been erected.

"Shouldn't the entire world be doing something as we speak? This clearly is a breach in the peace treaty that they had signed." Nagisa was frowning, her worn face tired and annoyed.

"I'm getting to that. Apparently, most of the world doesn't even know that we were going to denounced the Britannian forces, let alone call out a declaration to our enemies. The television signal never got out, and Britannia has started to jam any long range signals. Also, apparently, we had a double agent running through the main guard yesterday."

"A double agent," asked the unknown man, his thunderous voice reverberating around the small room. "How could all of this have passed us, Ohgi? Do we really have the corruption running that far up?"

"We're still investigating the entire situation."

"Commander, what's your opinion on this entire thing? How could they have gotten so far into our group?" The soldier threw a pistol hanging on the wall into a holster, grabbing a few extra magazines as he did. Everyone else was still fixated on the images on the screen. Even the news they were hearing was completely new to them; it was a haunting thought, one which put suspicion on even their closest friends and allies, leaving them not to be trusted.

"I can't say… They did, however, know our plans and tactics. Every move we made, they were at the end, blocking us off. I can easily believe that they were stealing our tactics."

"It was more than that," continued the man on the screen. "As well, they were responsible for shutting down all of our out-broadcasting servers. Beyond our spy footage, all of the major recordings had been deleted and taken."

"They must have really wanted the footage," said Nagisa again. She was still reeling over the loss of Tohdoh. That was one of the main reasons she had requested herself for the mission. Not only did she care little about her life, her mind now ran the one-track thought of revenge, it plaguing each action she tried to accomplish.

"And a few of our members. As you may or may not know, many of the higher-ups were captured during the assault. And our spy, Sayako, had been captured, which leads us to the reason you have been called down here," he said, resting his clasped hands on the desk. All of the soldiers shifted back and forth awkwardly, except for Chiba. Her dead eyes stood stalwart, surprise being a thing of the past. Color had drained from them long ago, the last few events only serving to drain the color of her entire body. And, she could no longer cry, the ability to be remotely human all but entirely gone. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced upon the fear that was hidden in the commander, who had watched the entire event unfold. At this, she was very jealous, almost to the point of being physical with it.

"We are going to dispatch you four to Hong Kong. That is the closest base Britannia has to Japan."

"But isn't it just an embassy? It would be foolish to hide such precious things in almost plain sight, especially considering how close the other embassies are." The more the gruff soldier spoke, the more sympathetic he seemed.

"I would agree, but we don't have any accurate representation on what the base holds. Intel, however, tells us that there is a large complex beneath the building, serving as a matter of thing for the country. That, we believe, is where the prisoners are being held."

"Minister Tohdoh, wouldn't that be going up against the treaty in another country? What if we're to be seen in the building or even being suspicious in the area? That could compromise the entire situation we're in."

"What would you suggest we do?"

"Isn't China our ally in all of this? Shouldn't we just inform them of something happening and let them deal with the situation?"

"And how do you plan on proving the situation to them? We can't show them the video footage, as Britannia has all the other information we've captured. They could easily edit it to show us as the fault in all of this."

"So all of this only serves to hurt us?"

"That is why we're sending you in to infiltrate the entire area. If you can find physical proof, then we'll be able to react accordingly."

"Everyone, be ready in five minutes," shouted the commander, taking over as Ohgi nodded to the team. "I want suppressors on everything; we're going in quick and quiet." He started to leave, heading towards the shuttle bay they would disembark from. "Be at bay 15 in three minutes. We cannot waste anymore time."

"Sir, yes sir," they shouted unanimously, saluting. Nagisa put the silencer on her rifle and was the first to leave, her mind spinning in many different circles. The two rookies followed, moving quickly towards the small stealth shuttle that waited for them.

* * *

Li Xingke marched towards a small Britannian meeting that was taking place within the Chinese relationship embassy. Being held on the top floor, where there was only one meeting room, he quickly found the fasted path and moved there with incredible speed. Today, he felt a foreboding aura, a cold breeze blowing through the entire building complex. Along with the sword, a small submachine gun was hidden beneath his large outfit. Zero, making a usual enigmatic appearance, stepped out of the shadows, appearing to block his path.

"Zero," said the Chinaman abrasively. Ever since their last meeting, only hours ago, he had felt very threatened by the man, the dark appearance serving to scare him, if only slightly.

"Do not go in there," he replied, a grave tone locked in his voice. It was surprising, almost showing that Zero could display another emotion besides his usual cocksure attitude. "I doubt you will find it worth the risk."

"What could be your reasoning," spat Xingke defensively. Every time they both seemed to speak, he found himself rushing towards the hilt of his blade, but after the last year he had associated with Zero, he found the safety precaution to soothe his mind.

"They wish for China's complete absence from the council. Were there to be a reason, I would tell you that it's because of your influence on Japan. Britannia believes that this is very threatening to them."

"Why would that matter at all? They have the least sway and say in the council as it is; also, it shouldn't matter because more countries have alliances with my country then they do with _theirs._" Xingke looked at him, trying to analyze who was beneath the mask. Still, only a few understood who was beneath the face.

"Indeed, all you say is true. Yet, they continue to grow with each day, building up the proper influence to rise up as a powerful force as they had once been. Do you wish to bring that wrath upon yourself?"

"What you speak is complete nonsense. Something will be done before your foolishness comes to its zenith." He didn't want to believe the words he was hearing, yet he did understand that the once-mighty superpower was building something up behind the scenes.

"And that would be your folly."

"Then you would suggeset that we actually ally our own powers together, if only to accomplish something that you've been plotting, correct?" He crossed his arms, trying to mine into the deep psyche that contained such thoughts.

"No, actually. I have all the allies that I could possibly need, and believe me; I would never need the China you serve. I do not wish to involve myself in countries that are killing themselves on the inside."

"Yet you betray them all by my warning." It were the little subtle nuances that gave Xingke the feeling of superiority, yet Zero just goaded him along, pushing his anger above all else. At times, he didn't know how to react to the strategist. "How like yourself, Zero. Personal safety and desire above all else. Am I correct?"

"You could force yourself to believe that; on the other hand, IF you place those thoughts as your primary beliefs, then I have wasted my breath on an ignorant fool." Zero turned away, without letting Xingke rebut the statement. He started to walk down towards the door that lead into the meeting room, the door unbarring itself from the black caped figure. With a clenched fist, the Chinaman moved in after him, his shaking fist swaying with a forced walk. Upon entry, he only happened to see an empty table, no people sitting at either end. Turning, he watched as soldiers moved in, their attire that of China's royal guard. The door locked with a somber click, Zero stepping out to make an appearance. Tianzi was also in the room, hidden behind the man with the sword. And now, Zero too had his sword out, pointing it directly at Xingke.

"Madman, what is this?!"

"I told you not to enter, yet with this you betray my council. I was looking for your best interests, and yet you throw them to the wind. And China will soon be my ally, but not a personal China that you control."

"How dare yo-"

"Stand fast! Your friend is with you and I will not pause to fire upon helpless children and their useless vassals." Xingke looked back, finally noticing the small white-haired girl who cowered in a corner, watching with tearstained eyes.

"But in what sense will you convey to the people that I have betrayed them? I have gone through such disdain and accusation before, yet proven myself, even if I haven't a voice to speak for myself."

"Do not worry, Xingke. This isn't the time for a strategist like yourself, and yet you've failed that very title. Could you not see such a future for yourself? What happened to the warrior six steps ahead?" Having no answer, he pulled out the sword, dashing ahead to strike at the man. Zero flipped backwards, sheathing his own blade. "Fire," and with that, he disappeared, a small floor passage pulling him away. But the Chinaman was not done, him dodging the initial fire and driving a blade into two of the men. Blood coated the blade and walls, the slain bodies slumping down, dirtying the floors. They watched his prowess with complete trepidation, giving him precious split seconds to make another move. Grabbing one of the rifles off the floor, he dove across the table, sliding to where Tianzi hid, firing blindly back at the other who remained. The large door blew open, more soldiers dressed in the Chinese garb flooding the small room.

"Xingke, what are we to do?" She was on the verge of passing out, her frail body quivering extensively. Each bullet that struck the table made her convulse horribly, her pale skin easily bruising.

"There is only one path."

"You filthy dog, stand and die in honor, rather than cower like a fool," shouted one of the men, his voice strangely without the Asian accent. It sounded distinctly Britannian, and as Xingke peered and eye over, he looked amongst the faces of the men firing at them. None were Chinese.

"Let us go, Your Majesty," yelled the man and grabbing her small hand, both started running at the windon before them, the glass already broken from the bullets that bore themselves into the walls. Two men ran over, watching in awe as they started to plummet from the fall. Before they hit the ground, both disappeared, their bodies nowhere to be seen.

"Commander, they're gone. Not a soul alive could have survived such a fall."

"Agreed. Let us make haste men. We cannot be here when a call comes in for the Royal Guard." They all retreated, Zero watching the event a few floors below. What had happened still confused Zero, the disappearance unexpected.

"Where have you gone, you snake? No matter. The China that you return to will be an alien country, one that doesn't welcome a murderer and kidnapper. Of that, you can be sure." He turned and left, ready to meet the troops at the front of the embassy. Below, only the shattered fragments of glass belayed any sign of a struggle, but soon even those disappeared into the abyss surrounding Zero. His personal transport drove him over to the Britannian Embassy, the car disappearing into the ground as a secret elevator platform took him into the center of the entire complex. Night slowly dawned on the neon city, the darkened skies to the East holding more than just stars.

* * *

Kallen watched the guard pace back and forth for hours, the electronic field between them keeping her voice and person out. She raised a palm against it, the turquoise energy instantly coursing down her arm, the feeling completely numb. Recoiling, she turned her back to the others, sitting down on the ground as her arms feeling slowly came back to her. From what she could tell, she was the only prisoner in the area, the entire group having been split up from the second they had arrived. Other than that, she knew little of the place, even less of where they were in the world. And what would they do to her? She knew not.

* * *

Carine and her most trusted officers sat around in a small office in Okinawa, the hidden military base slowly moving. It was a quiet evening and the base housed few soldiers, adding to the effect. Only minutes before had she confirmed a new detail of their plan: the shipment of Sakuradite, and it would be coming in to them rapidly. She didn't know the supplier, but she did know the effect it would lead to. All of the planning had been in secret, but now she planned on informing the entire group, as the empire had just started to rebuild itself. As always, Nunnally sat in a corner and watched her with extreme prejudice, both eyes glued to her cousin. Schneizel stood over her, too, both glazed eyes looking around the room, the permanent smile plastered across his face. Shaking off the look, Carine looked to the end of the table, where a holographic display had been set up. Zero too would be a part of this meeting, his official role as Nunnally's protector still a prime concern to them. Displaying punctuality, Zero appeared mere seconds before the scheduled time.

"Nunnally," started the black figure, his voice full of compassion. "It is good to see you in such health these days. Sadly, I wish I could be by your side but Schneizel will have to do for the time being. I hope this is not too much to ask…"

"Not at all, Zero. I'm just glad enough to be able to see you; it seems as though our time together these days' waxes and wanes just as the moon." Cornelia smiled at this, Guilford sitting next to her. She wanted nothing of Carine's plots, only the safety of her family. That was the true reason that she was their, as a watchful eye. Looking around, she could guess that the same could be said for a few other members.

"If we could please start…"

"Oh, my apologies, cousin Carine." She faked a smile at this, turning back to the man who had just joined them.

"As you may or may not know, there was another huge riot down in Tokyo yesterday morning. We didn't have any men out to quell it, but we are starting to hear reports about a massacre. Even our spies are reporting in with information." Nunnally cringed at hearing this, as their last meeting still ached at the side of her head. "I have spoken with our councilors on this situation and they have advised that we take action. Beginning at midnight, we will be deploying a series of new Knightmare Frames down to Japan, piloted by a new group of pilots that will be replacing the Knights of the Round." Nunnally turned subtly to Zero, her eyes asking for him to speak up. He nodded in accordance.

"Excuse me, Carine, but didn't we come to the consensus that that plan would be unwise for any side of this? Most of us are still apprehensive of policing our forces down to another country, especially considering it is the same country as the Black Rebellion. Has there been any other consideration into other plans?"

"Zero, you have little room to speak, considering you yourself was responsible for the entire Black Rebellion."

"I am going to have to agree with Zero, Carine," spoke Cornelia, finally voicing her concern. However, Guilford, sitting directly next to her, frowned. "There is no possible positive influence by sending in troops. I, having been one of the viceroys of the country, know this first hand."

"With that mentality, you could also see how the situation would play out. Besides, I wouldn't task such a daunting undertaking to an incompetent failure such as you. Perhaps that was why the inclusion of Knightmare Frames was a poor idea for your rule as viceroy."

"Enough," said Guilford, hobbling up to shout at the girl, who was technically her superior.

"Moving on, I would like to introduce our new group of pilots that we have assigned to watch over the area. They will be the new replacement for the Knights of the Round; in fact, I believe that you have already met one of them," said Carine, nodded towards Guilford. Although he had been physically impaired in the Last Battle of Tokyo, he was still an ace pilot, the last year of trailing honing his ability. He stood and moved towards the door, standing still as a few others walked into the room. "These are them. If you gentlemen would care to introduce yourselves to the group…"

"I'm Gino Weinburg," said the blonde, bowing low. "I would be the Knight of One."

"I am Leo," said the second, his voice tough. This was a complete abstract considering how small he was; as well, he was still a child, no older than 16. His look was familiar, but his oppressive frown pushed others away, his silence enough reason to leave him alone.

"Jeremiah Gottwild, at your services." He bowed low, looking specifically at Nunnally who was surprised to see him. Although he had worked with Lelouch, those transgressions had been cast aside as his old service record and recommendations came up from time and time again. Besides, his loyalty was strong with Ms. Nunnally, too. "I am the honorable Knight of Three."

"I'm sorry," interrupted one of the members seated around the table. "I honestly doubt this is the reason you've called us all together; please, could you hurry up and get to the middle of it? I understand that _these _men are important, but Britannia has more pressing matters I'm assured. If anything, you understand that, correct?"

"Indeed, Sir Mason." Carine turned to the Knights and nodded, them taking the empty seats at the end of the table. "Thank you, Knights. You may all be seated. Just take an open seat." She looked around, watching as the interlopers took up their seats next to the Royals. Gino fitted in well, but others were not as warmly received. "Now, if we must continue, I would also like to speak about the current Sakuradite shipments we've been receiving."

"Jeremiah, I'm glad to see that my request has been taken seriously," whispered the female vi Britannian. "It's reassuring to know someone loyal to my part of the family is in direct contact with Carine. I believe she's out of control sometimes…"

"I'm glad to hear this, Ms. Nunnally. I only wish I could be of more service to you. Also, a wish to display my belated condolences for your brother; I apologize for not being able to attend the funeral, if not for his death at all."

"No, it's completely fine. And, do not worry about his death at all, Jeremiah. It was not your fault and you could have done little, if not anything for it. I only thank you for your concern, sir."

"It is but the slightest I could do," he smiled, his face completely natural. He had a new artificial face, the prostetic pieces looking completely natural, almost as they once had before. Only, his eye glimmered an odd color, something hidden behind it. Nunnally smiled and they both returned their attention to the leader, her voice carrying itself strongly across the entire room. Behind them, the remaining Knights spoke amongst each other, their quiet voice intermixing with the louder speaker. The remainder of the meeting continued on without anyone else speaking up, and finally, it ended, the Royals filing out with relative speed. Only a few continued to stay with the group, Carine waiting for everyone to leave the room. Nunnally softly spoke to both Gino and Jeremiah, them leading her out of the room.

"I wish she wasn't as impotent as you allow her. If anything, you and she are both the biggest obstacles in the group. Honestly, I doubt that Cornelia would have spoken up if you hadn't. It's as if you're destroying everything I'm building up."

"Would you rather that I act directly for you? Besides, I made a promise to someone to look over Nunnally, and no matter what, I would never go against his world."

"To someone… I believe you are speaking of my late cousin, am I not correct? Young Lelouch?"

"You are not much older than him, Carine. And it would be wise not to speak of the dead. I do not kid with such things."

"No matter. But, I do want you to do something about it. I cannot have all my situations running into these Libertarian notions; her lust for peace is far too strong, yet she feels that countermanding everything I do as the only solution for the problem."

"Then what would you suggest?"

"She is your burden, not mine. And if you carry the weight of your promise, it would have to be your problem. Just see that it is dealt with before the next meeting. Cornelia has just as much sway as I do, you know."

"Then why not deal with her?"

"Because, I have just promoted her dear Guilford to the status of Knight of Five. If anything, I need him at that position. He's being sent down to Japan within hours, too."

"What do you really plan on doing down there?"

"As of now, we need a large supply of Sakuradite, with the Tokyo mine still mining out large portions. I'm having a few of them capture a large supply of it, with a few others sent to infiltrate the main Japanese Defense Force."

"Hmm."

"Do you disprove of such plans? I would find them completely in your taste."

"Oh, it is nothing with your plans, but rather it's what you would do with the Sakuradite that is troubling me. I doubt that it's anything major, though…"

"Oh, Zero, I will at least inform you when the time arrives. Were it not for you, Britannia would have failed months after the treaty was signed. You've nearly carried this nation by yourself, and yet I still haven't any idea who you are. But, I only pray that this… service continues."

"With that, you do not need to worry." Zero lifted just the bottom of his mouth, revealing a smile. As he turned, he took the entire thing off and the hologram died, leaving Carine in the room alone. She smiled too.

"Activate the camera in Zero's quarters," she said into a small communicator located around her wristwatch. In the masked man's room, a small divot in the corner of the ceiling folded out; it scanned the room, and yet no one was in their. Zero smiled up at the device, disabling it only seconds later.

"Checkmate."

* * *

Japan's small stealth shuttle hovered over the Bay of Hong Kong, it disappearing in the murky depths of the dark waters, a brief wake appearing behind them. All four sat in silence, looking out the small windows. Neon lights danced back and forth, the flickering lights the only things illuminating the small cabin. Takahata put the final bullet into his small clip, sliding the metal magazine into the silenced rifle they all carried. Nagisa slept, her eyes gently closed. The last man looked ahead, smiling. Slowly, the vehicle lurched to a halt, them dropping to the ground with relative speed. As soon as they landed, the lights flickered on, Nagisa slowly reawakening. The small television on the wall turned on, the commander's face appearing on it.

"I hope you four are ready for this."

"Yes sir," they all said at once, the back door slowly unlocking.

"You all have your orders. Nagisa, I want you leading Alpha on this operation. Tate, you're the leader of Delta. I will be speaking directly to both of you, in case the situation changes. Otherwise, try to keep your signal off and remember, this is a stealth mission. You're not there to blow the complex up." He looked around, letting the specifics settle in.

"Yes sir," they repeated.

"The repercussions for this mission are insurmountable, even compared to any previous transgressions created by anyone else. If this is shone to the council in any sort of light, Japan could be annexed to another country or even placed under extreme watch. I'm positive that Britannia would have massive sway in the council's decision. Again, I can't stress stealth enough. Only rely on your weapons if it's a desperate situation. Other than that, that is about all I can tell you."

"Sir," said Tate, briefly. "Do you have any information on the complex we're entering? It could be helpful, to say the least."

"We have little information on the facility below the main embassy building; however, the top floors are under heavy surveillance. We don't know how you'll be able to infiltrate the area, but it may require access to floors above ground, as their primary security stations are located on the second and fourth floors. In fact, it may be wise to visit those floors before searching for the entrance. Those are the only clues we have, as of now anyway. If we find any updates, though…"

"Understood, sir. Which team do you want to deploy towards the security rooms?"

"Delta. Alpha, you will wait on the ground floor unless the situation changes. Delta, you should be able to travel between stations above in the massive system of ventilation shafts that run throughout the building. They are the safest passages for you to take."

"Roger, sir. Does everyone else understand the situation?" They all nodded to each other, everyone completely awake and ready for the mission. Nagisa pressed a small button on the interior of the craft, the back blast door folding down onto the grassy hill behind the large building. Swiftly, they piled out and watched as the silent vehicle left them, it slowly fading completely out of sight. Looking around, they threw their masks down, turning to the area. With the small thermal-optic camouflage generators, the group disappeared into the background, filing into the building in a strict military pattern. Above them, a large shuttle flew by, slowing and landing atop the buildings. It gave off excessive light and noise, the area flooding with many different sights and sounds. Their tried to make out the symbols sprawled around the fuselage of the craft, it taking off only minutes after landing.

"Nagisa, did you catch that?"

"Yeah, it was a personally owned craft. The silver arc on the side of looked familiar, too."

"It unusual to see one completely black. That model isn't usually assigned to stealth tasks, like our little dropship. It's… peculiar."

"I agree."

"Cut the chatter," whispered Tate, taking lead and moving through the courtyard with perfect alacrity and silence. All four came up to the wall, the shadows dragging across the top. Some reached out towards the sky, the shrouded moon shrugging them away. Using a small micro-camera, Tate looked around the corner, checking for any guards. No a soul lingered around the area, the yard empty except for the lights the tried to illuminate the entire façade of the building. A few wild hand gestures later and Delta team started scaling the dark side of the building, moving up the side of the wall. The invisibility cloaking technology was useful, but it still had its faults. Once they reached the fourth floor, they scanned through the heavy curtains that were drawn over each window. A quick thermal impression of the floor appeared in their wristwatches, the entire floor occupied by only two or three guards. They patrolled the surrounding corridors, going along at a sluggish, lackadaisical pace. Pulling out a small flat item, Tate pressed it up to the window. All it took was a simple beep and the glass anti-materialized, vanishing. No wind presented itself to them, the curtain barely moving at all. Both checked once more and moved into the area, disappearing once again as the guards cycled around. Mai checked the corner, reaching for a small knife around her belt.

"Go," he hushed, both moved quickly, looking out for the guards. None of the guards appeared, all three moving back into the safety of the small security booth. Realizing there was no threat, she sheathed the blade, meeting back up with the team leader.

"Quick to draw the blade, aren't you?" His voice was filled with a playful tone. "I doubt I should be surprised, though."

"Not as quick as you are to over-judge the situation. But, I guess that's better than jumping mindlessly out. But, planning is more your thing, anyway, and if I'm not mistaken, I've always been the blade, or the decoy."

"True enough." He laughed, looking back at her.

"So, strategist, how are we to clear out those guards in the security room? I doubt our superior would want us to use deadly force," her tone mocking, the usual abstract to his own.

"Believe me, I have a plan." Mai just turned and chuckled to herself, pressing up against the wall as the other moved before the door, his helmet folding back. He walked into the room casually, the door sliding quickly behind him.

"They are quite entertaining," she said to herself, smiling cruelly.

"So, how much faith do you put in the other two members of the operation? They are greenhorns, after all."

"I don't believe that it's the appropriate time for such prattle. But, if you must know, I have quite a bit, if not with my apprehensions. They have quite a daunting task, but I doubt that they would have been tasked for this operation if they were under-skilled for the task." Nagisa peered around a corner, no one in their direct vicinity. "How do you feel Raito?"

"I guess we share similar thoughts, but I had wished they would have taken their helmets off in the shuttle. It would have been simply reassuring to see who else was with us, if anything."

"They wore their helmets the entire time? I didn't realize that… That's odd, but… I can't really put it in a suspicious light."

"All right. I was just wondering your view on it."

"Understood, but we should wait before passing judgment. If anything, Raito, we should give them a fair chance."

"Yes, ma'am." They moved into one of the darken rooms in the hall, Nagisa biting her lower lip. Although she had voiced a level of faith in both, her mind told a different story. Her entire faith and being was still being tested by the death of Tohdoh, her mind still reeling over all that had happened in the last few tumultuous days. _"Nagisa, snap out of it! There are more pressing matters that need attending now. You can throw yourself into your emotions, later." _It was that simple reminder that pushed her on, both dark shadows creeping around the lower floors. No matter where both moved, there were no guards on duty, but neither thought far into this matter. Along with the missing guards, there were no obtrusive passages or hidden markers that made the entrance evident. They both pressed their hands up against the walls, searching for anything elevating itself, a small button if you would.

"Nagisa, how long do you exactly believe we should be doing this? I seriously doubt that we won't be able to find anything like a _button._ This is a complex building, not the Temple of Doom…"

"First, please don't address me so familiarly. Second, I understand that but we're doing this as a precaution, not for your enjoyment, so please bear with it for a moment. Besides, were you the architect of the building?"

"That's completely irrelevant-"

"Enough. No more speaking. We don't want to be picked up by any sound sensor." Reito just looked at her, exasperated, and exhaled, closing both eyes and looking at the ground, his hands slowly clenching into tight fists. Above, in the small security office on the second floor, Mai crept through the ventilation system, narrowly avoiding anybody working in the complex maintenance tunnels. Looking down the small slits in the grate above the room, she noticed the door open with a subtle, relaxed slide. Tate had simply used the elevator, barely caring if anyone had heard him or not. Arriving at the second floor, he casually got out and waltzed over to the security room, opening the room with a familiar grasp. His black hair fell behind him, the sharp face greeting the Britannian guards patrolling. In surprised, they turned to him, but their guard dropped as soon as they realized that the man was one of their own, his face absent of any Japanese appearance. Their attention snapped together, but it was too late. Below, one of the walls slowly slid up into a small lock, both Japanese spec ops moving quickly into the facility hidden below the massive area. However, it was neither of the security booths that housed the button that allowed access to the area.

"Commander, we've gained access to the base. Has any information come up?" Their backs to the wall, they carefully watched three soldiers, all armed with large rifles, parade up and down, their blank stares checking every dark nook in the area. However, they sat in the only blind spot, each checking their weapons.

"…" Static simply came over the airwaves, the small frequency barely picking anything up. The thick walls surrounding were effective at canceling out any unwanted signals, leaving them with little support. Again she tried contacting base before deciding to send a message to the other two agents who were slowly making their way down to them.

"Takataha, do you come in…? If you're getting this, respond."

"Officer Chiba, what's going on?" Surprising, it was Mai who replied to the radio. Officially, it was Tate's responsibility to reply to any message.

"We're down in the complex below the area. What happened to Takahata? It's suppose to be his responsibility to answer the radio."

"I understand that, but he turned his radio off and went on ahead of me. If I'm not mistaken, he should be arriving on your position in just seconds." It was true, because just at the corner, a young man in the basic spec ops mask pressed himself against the corner, the silenced pistol lightly gripped in his hand. Nagisa signaled him over, but also mouthed for him to holster his weapon. The second that the guards had turned, he scuttled over, his breathing slightly labored.

"Out of shape," whispered Raito, joking slightly.

"Not at all. I almost ran into trouble on the way down," he lied. "It put me a little on edge."

"Why isn't Mai with you," Nagisa hissed, looking to see if they had been found once again. Still, the guards continued their oblivious path back and forth.

"She and I took separate paths. But fret not, for she will be joining very shortly. It's only momentarily anyway."

"If you insist." Above them, Mai moved through the shafts, going deeper into the labyrinth. A large concrete slab sat before her, looking up as it mocked her. However, she laughed as a small shaft hatch sat near the wall, its paint identical to the matte grey that the concrete was. Yet in the dark environment, everything meshed together, the iridescent light that was strapped to her head the only thing illuminating the area. It cast a pale blue light over everything, giving the world a sickly color. She enjoyed it. Opening the shaft slightly, the girl peered into the area, just above three patrolling guards. It was Tate that first noticed any sign of the girl, him elbowing the young leader of the group.

"Mai," whispered Nagisa into the girl's receiver. "I need you to dispatch the guards. Non-lethally. Is that okay with you?"

"More than," and she turned off her communication link. Within seconds, she had unpinned a small gas grenade and casually dropped it to the ground. It clanged dully, landing at the feet of one of the soldiers. All three looked at it as a noxious gas started to seep out, the three looking at each other with wide eyes. Before they could react, they fell to the ground in massive slums, the room filled with a thick purple fog. "How did that do?"

"Fantastic. Now, come back to us. We need to get a signal from base. The operation may have changed."

"Yes, ma'am." Mai gripped the vent with a tight fist and flipped down into the area, landing gracefully amongst the bodies. Her mask filtered the last of the poisonous gas, the area clearing out. In mere seconds, the group had hid the bodies of the guards, all regrouping only feet outside of the underground structure.

"So, have either of you heard anything from command yet? We need a situation update before we continue."

"No, not yet. I believe that he would give you the update before us. You guys have the responsibility of commanding this operation, correct?"

"Yes, but that doesn't imply anything against you, if you are thinking that. And Tate, I believe he told us that he would contact you directly if the situation changes."

"Indeed he did. Mai, you need to hold your tongue. Not everything requires a snide remark."

"Don't start with your hypocrisy, _Tate._" Her gaze was piercing through both her and his mask.

"Enough! This is neither the time nor place for such acting. Insubordination is not tolerated heavily in this line of duty. I still have every power that my rank allows, which is more than enough to see that you both are punished. Do not take this lightly."

"Nagisa, be calm. I'd rather we have no fighting amongst us. Your threats will only put us further on edge."

"Raito."

"I mean it." She exhaled, multiple times, calming her fury. All of them were on edge, but the entire thing had gone swimmingly so far; all of them had exceeded the expectations of any of their commanding officers.

"All right. I will try and establish contact with Base. You three watch the area. Scan any floor that you can. We need to know what we're going into."

"Yes," they all said sheepishly. Nagisa snuck back into the main embassy, moving into a darkened room. Only a tinted computer monitor gave any light into the room, the dull light shining itself on the flat colored walls that surrounded her. Attaching a small transceiver to the small CPU that stood next to the monitor, she opened her communicator and started sending out a small signal. Within seconds, she had established contact with her superiors. Ohgi had joined the commander this time, his face with a grim expression. He was bracing himself for any further tragedies along the road.

"Commander, it's a relief to see both of you. We've been able to clear out the building and have discovered the underground facility. However, we wanted a situation update before continuing onward."

"It's good to hear from you as well. We've detected another craft landing near the area only shortly ago."

"Oh, yes. It was a medium sized civilian issue craft. All black, but without any notable insignias. It had a few plastered on the bow, but we couldn't make any of them out."

"We'll check into it. Otherwise, the original mission still remains. Try to find a communication station in the underground area. It will be easier for the mission."

"Roger, sir. Over." A quick salute and the small image on the communicator disappeared, static taking its place. She closed it and removed the transceiver, putting it into on of the main pockets that were on her belt. Before heading out, she checked all her weapons, removing the clips and counting the bullets in the steel magazines. "Everything's good," she assured herself and moved out into the sterile hallway, pressing herself up against the wall and checking down towards where the hidden door had opened. Her comrades weren't around, but that was to be expected. She at least believed that they wouldn't deliberately place themselves in a foolish position or harm. With relative haste, Nagisa moved back towards the small group she held responsibility over.

* * *

Kallen had her head pressed into the thin pillow on the edge of the flat, cold steel bed that stood against the matching wall, the utilitarian area holding the same sanitary, barren feel of entire holding block. _"How long ago was it that I saw a guard around_," she asked herself, both eyes blankly staring at the concrete surrounding her. _"My, how the time seems to fly when you're having fun…" _The heavy glass that blocked off the front of her cell reflected the outside light, the power shortly dimming and throwing her cell into complete darkness. After a few seconds of the annoying electric buzzing, the room lit up. As soon as it did, a figure was outside, looking in on her. It was a figure she was more than familiar with.

"Kallen."

"Lelouch?!" But it was not him, only the shell of what he once was. Zero stood before the girl, the mask more glossed than the glass that separated both. "No, how could I be so foolish?" At this, she laughed, mostly at herself. Zero smiled wryly at this, his face saddened with pity to see the girl at such a state of mind.

"How far have you fallen, Kallen?"

"I could easily ask you the same, _Suzaku. _Perhaps you truly should have died that year ago, if only for the sake of the world. Did you ever once think that as a solution to some of the world's problems?"

"Hah, such stingy remarks. Have I truly done so much to you?"

"…"

"I thought not. Why not cast aside these foolish battles and struggles? Britannia is already preparing your execution, along with an assault on Japan."

"Still you forsake your own country?"

"Join with me, Kallen," he continued, ignoring the last remark. "I'm not that different from your past master, from Lelouch. You and I both could easily set the world on a better path, one without any foolish alliances and prideful battles. Don't you understand?"

"Yet, what would I do? Be your executioner, rather than your knight? Like how you had controlled Kaguya?"

"All battles require sacrifice and dedication, if not always human. You, I know, understand that well."

"Zero, I would never. Your words, the words of a traitor, or worse, a false face, are just gentle winds against a stone wall. Nothing at all." Her tone didn't change although energy was apparent in much of what she said. Kallen started to devote as little focus as she could with people like Zero anymore.

"Hmm. So you would forsake logic and live in ignorance? Fine; I won't pry myself any further. I can see the results."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Writhe in your pen of agony, my friend. I await the outcome with baited breath." The cape twisted and he disappeared into the shadows behind him, leaving her in the silence. An echo seemed to bounce around her cell, the words trying their best to enter her, to leave their foreboding stain. Before lulling herself to sleep, she shivered once again, the disturbing image of Suzaku being distorted by time, the effects permanent.

* * *

Nagisa checked a corner, the area empty. Looking over the thermal scans that the group had gathered, there was few heat signatures located in the base. Perhaps just rats in the ventilation, but still she checked each area, watching over them all. Tate and Mai looked around with caution, Raito grasping his gun with a light palm. Everyone was carrying their burden their own specific way, Nagisa under the most evident stress. Two elevator shafts stood at the end of a hallway, the only way to progress further.

"Tate, Raito, pry both doors open. You guys are going to lower us to the lower floors and we're going to open them. Simply, that's an order." Neither answered, but each person moved to the steel doors and started to open each, the heavy metal sliding across with effort. Tate took longer, him evidently weaker than Raito. In all actuality, Mai started to help Tate push it, shaking her head as he wedged himself in between the metal, keeping it enough ajar.

"Nagisa, how do you plan on opening the doors?"

"We'll use a wedge. Simple enough."

"All right; just, please, be careful. I doubt I have to say that…"

"Thanks for the concern, Raito. I'll keep it in mind. Now, let's go." She turned and looked down at the young figure slumped against one side of the door, while the other man barely broke a sweat. "Mai, can he still go on?"

"Yeah. He's just…"

"A little enervated," finished the tired man. "That's it."

"Good. We have a schedule to keep, you know. When we're down their, too, we'll find a way to have you meet up with us. Raito, keep your channel open, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am." They all exchanged looks and turned back to the task at hand, with both arms lowering them lower. Each girl placed a small mechanical wedge between the doors and let them open, the men both swinging the girls to the lower level. Further below, the shaft extending, enveloping both in an utter feeling of dread. Tate pulled his arm up and exhaled loudly, closing both eyes beneath the mask he wore. Both men sat in the dark hall for minutes, the silence between both barely keeping them awake. And still, neither girl made any effort to call them back.

"So, what do you believe would be the correct course of action, Raito? You are to commanding officer, now…"

"I'm open for suggestion. I wouldn't mind just waiting a little while longer."

"If you wouldn't mind, you could lower me down into the area, me being the lighter of the both of us."

"Huh?"

"Lower me down. I'll see what happened."

"Are you serious? What happens if they contact me while you're gone?"

"That should hardly matter. They are looking for a proper way to bring us down with them. I would have already accomplished that task."

"True enough. All right, we have nothing else to do."

"Competent enough attitude. Let's go." Almost as quickly as before, Tate grabbed the larger man's arm and was lowered down, walking his long legs against the wall before reaching the open doors. A foot slipped into the open air, both feet struggling for something to feel against. Raito suddenly just dropped him, the few seconds of hang-time pushing his heart to his throat. But a hand reached out and grabbed his, stopping him halfway before plunging to an untimely death.

"My my, _Tate._ This is a first. You being physically reckless? What has the world become?"

"Not surprisingly, you're there to save me. What are you doing skulking around this area? Weren't you tasked with searching for another entrance for us?"

"I just had a thought that something like this would happen. You would almost believe that I could read your mind."

"Easily tell us we've spent much too much time together. But enough prattle; I have a reason for being here. As do you." He started down into the darkness, leaving her behind as she picked herself up and started walking the direction he went. Both disappeared, leaving the other two team members to fend for themselves. In a matter of seconds, Nagisa broke the seal containing all hell. A blaring klaxon sounded off, growing louder as both groups started moving in. Raito made himself a makeshift rope and repelled down to the lower floor, the red light flashing across his face. He pulled his mask off and threw it into the darkness below, the sweat beading off his head as he ran towards the epicenter of the area. Nagisa ran into a group of soldiers, a quick firefight ensuing.

"Raito, have you gotten to the lower area yet?!" Her voice was fraught with panic, gunshots ringing off in the back ground. Deep voices were shouting.

"Yes! Where the hell are you? What's happening?!" He zigged through corridors, winding down more dark halls. He wore a small watch displaying a map of the complex, Nagisa's GPS indicator running further away from where he stood. "Dammit, stand still, Nagisa!" She didn't reply but he eventually came up on the gunfire, taking cover as he readied his rifle. Between both, there were a few seconds of silence before either side exchanged and fire. Mai and Tate furthered themselves away, going along as if they were familiar with the facility.

"Mai, have you lost your senses?! Get the hell down here, now!" He started shouting, causing both to stop. "We really need back up!" Raito started firing back, his gun running dry in a matter of seconds. He dropped his hand off the communicator button and threw another magazine into his gun, blindly firing the second it was registered.

"So, Mai. It looks as if you're needed."

"And it sounds as if you want me gone."

"Not at all, but you should move on towards them. We still have to go through with this mission."

"You say that but probably will drop that moniker the second you find what you are looking for. Are you hiding anything from me, too?"

"Perhaps…"

"Hah. I'll leave it at that then, L.L." She took off her own mask and turned away, her long lime hair flowing freely behind her. The little nickname was one that he hated, but she often insisted on calling him it, rather by force of where he found himself, not for any other reason. Silently, he cursed her and turned back, the prison ward area opening up to him. Instantly, he noticed how all the cell were empty save for one, a panel of glass blocking the steel bars to her prison. He walked up to it, surprised at who was in. Looking at the ground, he put his hand up to the glass.

"Who's there," she calmly asked, not even bothering to turn around.

"It's been quite a while, Kallen." His voice was calm, but it was a tone she had hardly heard from him: sympathy and regret.

"Demon."

* * *

"Shit," cursed Raito, his last magazine lying empty on the floor. Now, he started using the small match pistol they had given him, the casing flying violently through the air. "Where the hell are Mai and Tate?"

"Tate's getting the prisoners," said the enigmatic voice of "Mai". She walked near Raito, grabbing the pistol from his hand. He was still staring at her oddly colored hair.

"Mai?"

"Hehe." She walked out into the open, shooting randomly at the three remaining soldiers that were still slowly moving towards Nagisa, who was huddled behind cover, the hundreds of bullet holes littering the concrete wall behind her. Bullets arced wildly, some hitting their targets, other striking the surrounding areas. One soldier went down, the other two diving for cover; almost instantly, the peeked up and returned fire, the bullets slamming into the body of the young girl. Her body arced with pain, jolting backwards as blood started to pour out of her body. Blood tipped the ends of her hair, the girl falling backwards with a bloody smile. She coughed on the ground and then got back up, shaking herself off.

"What the hell is she, a goddamn monster?!"

"Call for backup!" One fumbled for his radio but two bullets entered his skull, the figure slumping to the group in a massive heap. The other screamed and jumped up, running away from the skirmish. "Mai" stepped down the hall and pointed the gun, but Nagisa stopped her.

"Mai, stand down. They are of no threat any… longer…" Her eyes had fully acclimated to the darkness, the girl's distinct features easily visible. "No, I know who you are. You are the witch of the Demon! How…?"

"Nagisa Chiba, one of the old Four Holy Swords, along with Black Knight. I'm glad you remember me. How has it been?"

"Is there something I'm missing," asked Raito meeting both. He had slung an enemy's rifle over his shoulder. Nagisa squinted her eyes and threw up her pistol, the gun finding itself at the girl's temple.

"No. But, this is C.C., one of people behind the Black Rebellion and the rise of Britannian's last emperor. She's… a witch, among other things."

"Heh. It's interesting to see how many people still call me that." The girl with the gun bit down harder on her teeth, grinding them as she pressed the pistol harder against her.

The door and glass pane had opened, freeing Kallen of her small prison. Rigidly, she got up and started moving, albeit slowly towards the young man who was waiting for her. He had taken off his mask, both eyes still maintaining their abusive purple tint. His hair was the same length, yet he wore it differently; it was only a subtle difference. Along with that, his age was something she found amusing, as his face was still as young as it had been a year ago. In this time, she had seen some change in her own basic appearance.

"It's surpris-" He was cut off as she threw a forceful punch at him, knocking him backwards onto the ground. Small drips of the sanguine liquid fell from his face, dripping down on his jet black outfit. While picking himself up, she dashed ahead and kicked him in the stomach, expelling the wind from his body. "Damn," he coughed, still smiling. She grabbed the belt strapped around his chest and pulled him up, pushing him against one of the walls. And she then started to slap him, her hand becoming red from the friction. It ended simply, her dropping her grip as she let the young man slump to the group.

"Why did you come back," she said, choking on her tears. A few fell from her face as both arms wrapped around her own body. Kallen fell to her knees and turned a gaze back, the tearstained impression matching his bloodied one. "Why throw more chaos into this world?"

"It was inadvertent. Even I didn't expect to have lived."

"How many people do you plan on ruining this time? Will you rise up an army again?"

"…"

"No answer? How unlike you." Both stood still, Lelouch wiping the blood away from his face. Kallen let the tears dry, and turned around, footsteps coming from behind them. The warning sirens had died out minutes ago, shrouding them in a veil of darkness. The Britannian male stood himself up, the small pistol slipping out of his holster.

"Kallen," called out the voice that had bothered her earlier, the amplified voice making her jump. "How did my little caged bird escape?" Lelouch pushed himself up against a wall, his head still trying to remember the voice.

"Zero," whispered Lelouch, who slid out of his cover and pointed the gun straight at the black mask that blocked them.

"Haha, who is…?" He stopped and looked at him, the front of the mask folding downward to reveal his own face. Both eyes had the small red rings around them, a permanent feature in his expression now. "Lelouch, how the hell-" But he was cut off as his old friend starting firing his gun, the caped Japanese man flipping and dodging backwards. All of the bullets streaked wildly, missing him easily. Kallen pushed him aside, stealing the weapon away from the boy. Her aim was distinctly better, the bullets coming closer than when the Britannian boy was shooting. And seemingly, he disappeared. Both were left breathing heavily as they looked around for the caped figure.

"I find it funny. Our meeting here, that is."

"Be quiet." She stood still, listening directly to the sounds around them.

"So, the Black Demon has returned," shouted Suzaku over the intercom. "I should have guessed as much."

"Zero, I find the fruits of your labor not what I once thought they would be. You surprise me. But rather, I would prefer you hadn't. Perhaps I should have predicted this outcome. You have displayed similar tendencies… to me."

"Easily learned from the best."

"Yet, you're not nearly as cautious as I was. You also seem to cross you allies, where as I held some alliances close. It's as if you're trying to get the world to hate the mask once again."

"I find it funny that you would think such things. But, rather, I would the world fear me instead of hate. I'm taking the initiative you lost. I'm creating a world where there will be no more Euphies."

"And still you're hung up on her."

"If one side wins the conflict, the fighting will stop. I believe you lived by the same credo, true?"

"So you try to emulate me? I don't know whether I should feel ashamed or applauded. Execution needs work, as I would never sacrifice those close to me. Which reminds me, how has Nunnally been? Unless you've shirked that, as well."

"Lelouch, you misunderstand me. I have done none of this to bring your scorn. If anything, she and I are still examples from you and your life. We both live because you did not. Except now. Will you take her back, knowing what her reaction would be?"

"I do not know, for she mourned my death the heaviest of all. Her mind works as mine does, but in a facile fashion. Even then, she overcomes you."

"Your words sting me, Lelouch. We've barely reacquainted ourselves for five minutes and you already have shot and insulted me. In my own domain, if I'm not mistaken."

"So, when did you align yourself with my home nation?"

"Enough questions! You've only caught me off guard; rather, attack as you would without the deception. At least honor your friends with this request." The overhead speaker died out, leaving them. Behind, C.C. joined them, a smile across her face. Kallen grimaced, both fists clenching.

"Quite the reunion. We all heard the entire thing."

"Where are the other two soldiers? I really don't want to entwine both of them in this."

"I knew you wouldn't have. The dropship already came and picked both up; we found out that the prisoners had been transported to another facility for interrogation. They will be arriving there shortly with a large force of soldiers. However, we're apparently the causalities of the operation. It makes me wonder if Ms. Chiba will tell Ohgi about the both of us…"

"I doubt it, but we can't rule that out. The world isn't ready for my rebirth. I was made well aware of that by Kallen."

"Oh, Kallen. It's great to see you once again. All three of us together, it reminds me of the old days."

"Witch, it sounds as if you are still collecting experiences, rather than living them. But, I didn't expect anything more from you." Her eyes asked another question. "Do you love him," they asked again, her lazy gaze smiling without an answer.

"Kallen, it's refreshing to know you haven't changed. It makes me feel at ease."

"Hmm…"

"Let us take our leave, then. Cecilia, have you planted the explosives where you were instructed to."

"Yes, I have. They are primed, too." She handed over the detonator.

"Then, let us take our leave. Kallen, it looks as if you're stuck with us for a little while. Unless, you'd prefer going back to Japan." She didn't answer, but followed behind as they all left the facility. A black sedan out front was their escape vehicle, and Kallen looked back as the entire area erupted into a pyroclasm. She turned back and watched the night sky overhead, wondering where her other friends were. The car continued to drift off into the night, vanishing without a trace.

* * *

**Next chapter is going to be about... well, just wait; well as a hint, its going to do with China's role in everything and Xingke's absense. And as always, please review. Thanks you very much! -AMP**


	7. Turn 7: Back to the Wind

**Yay, ch. 7! I have to say, this chapter was really hard for me to write. I rewrote it many different times, hating almost every copy that i recreated. I dont know, but it was probably the hardest yet. At least for the next chapter, i have a strong idea and angle to go at, which is always good. But enough 'bout that. Enjoy.**

* * *

"What is the meaning of this?!" The large meeting hall was in an uproar over the recent discovering of the Britannian Embassy, or rather what was left of it. A large pixilated image of the base's foundation and remaining support beams was plastered up on the wall; Carine stared up at it in disbelief, her dignitaries rushing back and forth as they all tried to please the massive eruption of complaints coming from the people who had seen what happened. "Carine, I demand to know what is going on down there!"

"Masberge, calm down. We are looking into the situation as we speak. It doesn't help to sit there and complain about something out of your control."

"I had people in there. How do you plan on replacing all of those who were lost?"

"We all had people in there. Quite frankly, I don't care how I go about replacing any of those people. Now, sit down and shut up, before I have security drag your sorry ass out of here. I kid you not." The large man shut up, turning back to images flashing across the walls. Zero pushed open the doors into the area, his swinging cape leading him along into the room.

"Zero. What are you doing here?"

"What a way to greet a guest such as myself. Would you rather I had not come at all, even if bearing good news?"

"I doubt that you have anything that can help now. And if I'm not mistaken, I had you visit the Embassy last night to make sure that no one had infiltrated the area. Your report never came in, also. What are you hiding?"

"Believe me, nothing."

"You don't have to put on the saintly act this time. Nunnally isn't attending this, so you don't have to put on the "good-guardian" façade you so often wear. Please, Zero, this is hardly the time for your enigmas."

"I have nothing for you, Carine. Now I have to worry about my own losses because of the devastation, not your pathetic problems."

"Zero, I would rather you turn your back on us at a different time. Were there a better time, I would easily inform you myself."

"You're mistaken, Carine. I am not turning my back on you, but I have never held myself out for you, either. It just happened that all of our goals coincided with each other, and you at least benefited from them in some way. And if you make the mistake of thinking of such things, I will easily set your mind at ease."

"And you have the gall to come back… Perhaps it was completely unwise to let you in at all." Carine angrily turned away, looking amongst the group again.

"I came for Nunnally, nothing more. She and I will be leaving this place for the sanctity of our own. I do not believe she is safe here; your attitude is doing little to set my mind at ease, too."

"What right do you have to take her as you see?"

"You speak out of place. I am her protector, and have been tasked with this responsibility. I doubt you would have any interest in her if I hadn't just spoken up."

"…"All of the others in the room looked around awkwardly, watching as she tried to search for a response. His impatient attitude caught her off guard, leaving a massive gap in her usually stone-wall appearance.

"Now, if you excuse me." Zero moved in, lightly tapping one of the guests' shoulders as he moved by. Leaving the other end, he disappeared. Carine stood in place, her mind spinning in circles. A few of the men in the room looked at her with surprise, all smiling coyly about what had happened. As seconds slowly passed, she started getting angrier and more frustrated, her face slowly boiling with rage.

"Gino, please come here." The knight looked up, turning away from his conversation. Quickly, he moved to the young girl, a questioning look on his face.

"M'lady. What can this knight offer you?"

"I want you to follow Zero once he leaves this place. Take Leo if you must, but it is imperative that you report what happens. I don't have the same amount of faith and trust in him as I once did, and after that last response…"

"I understand, my lady. We will both see what we can do."

"Godspeed, my knights. I hope you have luck with your search."

"As do we, Carine." He bowed and grabbed the young boy, his face distinctly familiar to everyone in the room. Both marched out of the room, their Knightmare's waiting for them in the hanger bay of the complex. Zero, however, had heard this entire conversation, a small microphone placed beneath the collar of Carine's outfit. Smiling, he turned away, watching as they left the facility. Slowly and silently, he moved back into the residential quarters of the buildings. He found Nunnally's room with little trouble, the small girl sitting on the foot of her bed. Outside, it was raining lightly, the sprinkling mist covering the entire island they were on. He sighed, as it reminded him of the days he spent with his friends, hidden away in their youthful innocence.

"Ah, Zero. What a delightful appearance you grant me with. How are you doing this glum day?"

"Nunnally, as congenial as always. Sadly, we both don't have time for greetings and formalities." He moved across the room and shut the large curtains, dimming all light in the room. "Come, for I believe that you are in danger spending any more time here." Confused, the girl grabbed his hand. Her wobbly legs were still weak, causing her to instantly lose balance.

"I'm sorry Zero, but it will take me but a minute to adjust."

"That would be a luxury that we do not have. Come, I shall carry you out with me." With an agile motion, he lifted the girl up and rushed her out, moving down the corridors with an incredible sense of speed. Outside, two Knightmare Frames, their specific models unknown, watched them scurry through the halls. He noticed them and ducked behind another wall; they lost sight and had to relocate.

"Zero, who are those two watching us?" Ever since her rejuvenated sense of sight, she had gained an acute feeling, yet only her eyes were affected. "They seem to be tracking us."

"I know, but I know not who they are. If I were to guess, I would believe that to be Gino Weinberg and his subordinate. Carine has asked them to watch us, but for unknown reasons."

"Carine, my cousin?"

"Yes. I don't have any specifics now, but I can look into it later." He moved down another hallway, the doors at the end completely steel. Slowly, he stopped before them and set the timid girl down.

"Locked," she asked, looking at him.

"Not at all." Quickly, he pivoted on his heel and spun, raising his leg up into the air. He kicked the door with a tremendous force, watching as the steel barriers dented inward and collapsed. A loud thud could be heard throughout the building, alerting many around them. Ignoring this, he brought her into the hanger, a large inward swell of wind blowing through the newly opened area. Two large shuttles sat in the hanger, both belonging to two different parties. Zero's was the larger of the two, three people waiting outside for his return. A few of the bases soldiers moved into to check the doors, but instantly turned upon seeing the black, flowing cape. They held their breath, waiting for the people to leave entirely.

"Master Zero," said one, welcoming him back. "Have you concluded your business?"

"Yes, I have. But that can wait. Prep the ship for lift off; do not waste any time doing so. We are currently in a rush." The girl following the masked figure looked back and forth between all of the people in the hanger, a strange familiarity belonging to them all. Perhaps it was the way they gazed out into the distance, their strained eyes unfaltering.

"Yes, Master." All of the guards moved aboard, the shuttle doors closing as soon as all of his men were on. Both large engines started glowing, the effervescent greens pulsating through the small port windows. In seconds, it was in the air and started for the area. Nunnally looked out a window, watching the small island of Okinawa disappear as they drifted further and further away. Still, the twin Knightmares were following, but at a safe distance. Zero saw the concern on her face, but only placed his arm on her shoulder, giving her some comfort.

"We'll lose them, just watch." She just kept looking out at the other two following. Everything that had happened was just a simple blur to her. Behind them, Kaguya watched, her dark suit hiding her presence from both. Turning her head, the young girl silently walked out of the room, her eyes glued to the floor of the shuttle.

* * *

Lelouch stopped the small vehicle only a couple of miles out of the Tokyo Proper. C.C. stepped out of the passenger seat, letting the wind absorb her. The green strands wrapped around her face, covering her eyes as she laughed and played with the long wisps. Kallen stayed in the car, her eyes trained on the black-haired boy. She couldn't hear the conversation that had started between both, only the rapid movement of both figure's lips. Her mind told her to open the door and to engage in whatever they were planning but she knew better. Soon after, they all got back in the car and it started back down the single lane road, the green pastures rolling by them.

"Kallen," started Lelouch, breaking the awkward silence that was held over the car. "What do you plan on doing? I need to know, as I don't want to involve you in anything over your head?"

_"What DO I plan on doing…? I've come all this way just for this one boy, this boy who ruined my and so many others lives… What do I want to do?" _She smiled sadly, looking out the window as the skies started to darken. Ahead of them was a privately owned airfield, and yet the military had a small installation near it. Knightmares from years bygone were sitting in rows, their pristine condition a surprise to them all. "I'm going to stay with you, Lelouch."

"And why is that," asked C.C. Both had spent an enormous amount of time together, so it was obvious that she would have colliding feelings about it. But, she didn't act jealous, but rather teased at the idea.

"Why would it matter to you?"

"It's almost as if you don't realize that I have some say in the matter. No matter, I won't try and stop you."

"Kallen, it's quite like old times, isn't it?" All of the minor injuries she had caused had healed. He smiled casually at her from the rearview mirror, looking ahead at the placid waters that sat beneath the bridge they started to cross. Fish jumped out of the reflective surface, spreading ripples across. It broke the glassy water, but eventually it resettled; no wind blew across field, but rain started to drizzle from the sky, almost as if it were crying. "I wouldn't be bothered by your company, either. We both know each other; if anything, I even know how you think."

"..."

"But, there are other means to this madness, rather than delving into your psyche. I'd not scare you off just yet; I have the perfect use for a woman of your talent."

"I couldn't care less. Anything to keep us together."

"What a response, my clinging minx. How desperate you sound." C.C. rolled down the passenger side window, letting small droplets of rain pelt the interior of the car. Yet, the liquid didn't seem to bother, or even touch her. Fine mists of the precipitation washed over Kallen, who sat behind the lime-haired girl.

"What keeps you so close, C.C.? Desperation has never visited you before, yet would you not be in this era were it not for your own pathetic desperation?"

"Perhaps I have no choice in the matter."

"I doubt that."

"Ladies, please. We can always holding this till another time." The small car pulled into the military instillation, pulling over to the side of the road. Turning off the ignition, they all got out once again. Now, small packs of thunder sounded back and forth across the sky, no signs of blue sky in any direction. A few of the streetlamps had turned on, the dark skies giving a darker appearance. The small dashboard clock read 17:43, just only a few minutes from six. The base was empty around the exterior, leaving them to wander about the complex without the risk of being bothered by any incessant soldier. Kallen looked at the different Knightmares all lined up along side the landing bays; the other two checked around the small security stations scattered at each entrance. If anything, they were searching for master keys and the small mecha ignition starters. Kallen walked up to one of the older models, its frame distinctly familiar to her. She pressed a small button located on the large right leg, a small ladder unfolding out of the hatch from behind. It only took her seconds to scamper up the metal bars and into the old cockpit, the large control yolks almost alien compared to the small ones in the newer models. The cramped control room was like her Guren, shaped and concaved like a small motorcycle, laying her across the wide windowed area. Streams of water kept pouring off the front, forming in large puddles in the chipped asphalt below. Inside the behemoth, she felt at ease, barely noticing Lelouch looking up at her. The small key around her neck rocked back and forth, just barely above the ignition slot.

"So, where do you believe her alliance lie," asked C.C. She held a few different Knightmare keys, dangling them. Both of her eyes followed them as they she swung them back and forth. "Would it be wise to trust her now?"

"I doubt she's with anyone. She probably still has some of the same opinions that she held last year, if not a worse opinion. Also, she seems a little unstable."

"But, you see no wrong in that. You're too easy to read, Lelouch. And how will you manipulate her this time? Your old trick won't always work, you know."

"Am I that much of an untrusting person? I have nothing to lose this time, nothing to gain. It would hardly matter how I handled her. How would you like me to manipulate her, or even yourself?"

"I don't care." She moved over to one of the machines, getting in as well. It opened the back hatch, welcoming her into the small seat. The pod was dark; all of the screens were dead, none of the small lights welcoming any working function. One by one, she tried different keys, each one locking the function further. It was the last one that started the machine, the small engine noisily starting up. Beside her, Kallen had tried her own key. Easily, it had allowed her access, letting the small status screens pop up around her. The power filler was almost completely full, the mecha having been properly serviced for the past few years. She looked back as the control pod sealed itself.

"Kallen," said a voice over one of the speakers, the poor audio crackling with slight bursts of static. "How did you happen to get that Knightmare started?"

"I still had the key to the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. with me. Apparently, they share the same ignition signature." She placed her hands down on the controls, warming quickly up to the older version of the mechanics that she grew upon. And then, the vehicle's appearance made itself know to her. _"Naoto…" _Lelouch quickly got in his own Knightmare, turning it on with few problems. C.C. was the first to set up all of the equipment, readying herself for whatever plan Lelouch had for them.

"Are you ready, Kallen?" A tear fell down upon the controls, but she looked back up, stronger than ever.

"Yes, I am ready. Please, tell me what you have in plan."

"Heh. It's great to hear your voice with such confidence." Two explosions went off behind them, the lime-haired girl firing the large shoulder-mounted weapon at the base. A small chain reaction went off, starting a small pyroclasm within the base. Rain did nothing but feed the chemical fire, it raging and furthering itself away from the base. A bright, crimson sheen washed over the grey Knightmares. "This is not a glorious path that I travel. If anything, you will be hated and condemned throughout the world. Would you still wish to accompany me?"

"Anything." Kallen turned and fired her own loaded weapon at the remainder of the base, watching as the surrounding area succumbed to the power. "Only for you," she whispered, and the three left, the float system-less vehicles driving off into the countryside, leaving the smoke to bait the surrounding military forces to where they had been. They were 40 minutes away from Tokyo when the government sent out forces to respond to the situation. A war council was called shortly after.

* * *

"Ohgi, we've just confirmed an explosion at one of the old satellite bases outside of Tokyo. A small brigade had been sent to investigate the matter, but they haven't been able to find much."

"No signs of who's responsible?"

"Not physically, but isn't it obvious?"

"I understand what you mean; I don't want to wait on this matter any longer, either. We have to act on this."

"What about the public," interrupted Nagisa Chiba, who was taking a much larger role in the politics surrounding Japan. She wore an elaborate dress, one that signified her new status. In reality, Japan was running out of those with experience; she was one of the obvious choices. "Will they respond peacefully to any effort we call out to war? We still don't know how many still believe in Britannia."

"I understand your concern, Nagisa, but it doesn't matter at this point. If they keep these attacks up, who's to say who will be the next casualty? We can't mount any major offensives but we do have enough power to build a strong defense."

"Would that be enough," said another, many chirping in at random times. "What if they have more F.L.E.I.J.A. warheads? We still don't have any way of stopping them."

"Yes, what if they did have more F.L.E.I.J.A.'s?"

"…I don't know."

"We need to develop our own technology rivaling the warheads. If only marginally powerful, we still need to have something to back in to. Otherwise, we'd be completely defenseless. I don't see any other path."

"What do you have in mind", said one of the other men in the room. Ohgi, across from the speaker, watched as a young boy, no older than 17, entered the room, a disturbed look on his face. "How would we exactly go about ascertaining any of this, either the weapons or the information to create such a disturbing tool?"

"Excuse me, elders, but I have pressing news." He caught his breath, moving to the front of the large group of people. "Our scouts have found a large Britannian presence and base down in the island chain around Okinawa. We currently have a few watching to see if anything arises."

"They have a base down in Okinawa?! When did this come up?!" All of the speakers were in an uproar, Ohgi standing up and calming them down.

"This would be a perfect opportunity to strike."

"I agree, Kaname. They don't know that we have the location of their base, which will be perfect for a surprise attack."

"Do we have enough munitions to perform an attack?"

"Yes, more than. We happened to hide a large stock of ammunition following last year. A few hidden armories are scattered all over Japan. We can get men out to them and have everything ready in a matter of hours."

"Good," finished Ohgi, standing up. "Then, we strike back. Get all bombing raiders ready for an attack. I'll announce this turn of events, along with our declaration, to the people of Japan." He got ready to leave, walking towards the door where Villetta was waiting, a small infant cradled in her arms. Still, they continued to move around the war room, the small initiative being prepared. Japan would strike back; two hours later, the planes were up in the air, heading south at an incredible rate. It would only be a matter of time before they assaulted the unprepared base.

* * *

"Master Zero," welcomed a Chinese diplomat who ushered the caped figure into the large embassy that was located very closely to the rubble of Britannian one. "We welcome you on this historic day. We can't begin to tell you how important this is, especially since the loss of Li Xingke." They all looked exactly the same, the halls and rooms running into each other without much indication. Behind them, many other Chinese followed closely behind. Along with them, Zero's closest members of his little cadre moved along, all silent. Their intimidating black masks gave them a formidable appearance, keeping everyone away from them. Along with that, they all had weapons at their hips. Each guard kept his attention directed at them, their own weapons ready for anything.

"I am sorry for your loss. I only wish that I could be doing more than just supporting you slightly in this time." The group stopped before an elevator, little conversation cropping up between them. As it reached their floor, only Zero and a few Chinese delegates walked into the first elevator.

"Zero, we appreciate your concern. We are still preparing how to deal with the situation, publically. They have no idea what has been happening lately, but are all starting to demand answers."

Again, I only wish I could do." An electronic ping signaled there arrival on the top floor. It housed very few things, including a large overhanging garden and balcony and the primary meeting hall for every important dignitary that visited China. Cameras looked back and forth, watching each corner with incredible accuracy. Guards wearing complete sets of armor accompanied them, their state-of-the-art weaponry showing off the hidden power behind China's new pacific government. The other two elevators greeted them; all of the following people joined up, them moving into the meeting hall in a large party.

"Grand Council, I now present Zero, a dignitary from both Japan and Britannia." All of the Chinese following the masked crusader turned and left, leaving him with his trusted men. They all took their seats, the voices of the many different members greeting them all. Beneath the mask, Zero smiled cruelly, laughing at how close he was to the central source of leadership in the massive empire. Outside, all of the guards on the top floor took off their masks, donning new ones. Pulling a few different wires, they disabled all of the cameras watching over the hallways. Each figure had a red rim around each eye, them standing completely still before the large doorway.

He removed the guard blocking his eyes, both pupils surrounded by a purple iris. Small "v's" sat in the middle of them, dancing back and forth. "You fools…" He started laughing, a psychotic laugh that penetrated every corner of the room. All of the Chinese dignitaries looked back and forth, confused at what was happening. "I command you all," he started, the entire room staring directly towards both glowing orbs, the elusive face smiling cruelly. The meeting only remained for a matter of seconds, the caped figure leaving without haste. Casually, he walked to the window, looking out. "It's time to see where your pieces lay, Lelouch. Let us see if you can be anything other than a specter of the past."

* * *

"This is Kage 1, crossing over into Britannian airspace. Air pressure is normal, but we're seeing a little rain surrounding the islands. Perfect cover to move in. Kage 2, follow my tail in. 3, ride up on my right and swoop low. Don't break formation until I give word."

"Roger." The planes moved into position, swooping down into the large dark clouds. The base sat below, watching the sea as it slammed against the sandy beaches below. The three bombers circled the skies, watching and waiting for official word from their home base. As the minutes slowly went by, nothing came in, yet the base below didn't seem to notice the presence of the attack planes above. In all actuality, most of the base had been abandoned hours ago, realizing that their presence had been detected. A small plane left towards its home country, under the dark storm cover as well. Only a few troops remained, all watching over the prisoners who had been transported to the large facility. Command radioed in to them, allowing the bombing to start.

* * *

Lelouch and Kallen moved closely towards the silhouetted explosions in the distance, the rain blocking out most of the horizon. Above, a plane burst into flames and started plummeting towards the ground, bullets flying through the air towards the other that still circled. Knightmare Frames were driving back and forth, trying to evacuate the base as well as destroy the attackers above.

"Kallen, you ready to get back into the game?" The older models paled in comparison to the new models that had just been produced. Lelouch's only held a small rifle, the clip half empty. Even the energy filler was partially depleted, having spent an incredible amount of fuel moving over Japan. It was one of the first modernized Glasgow models, and it was almost ready to fall completely apart. However, it was never his plan to directly fight.

"I haven't fought in about a year. I hope you don't have too much faith in my abilities; this is a different control layout than I am use to, also." It only took a matter of seconds to become familiarized with the entire system, but she still didn't know the entire potential of the machine. A small sword sat in one of the shoulder plates, the gauntlet also equipped with a machine gun. Everything was completely full, and both leg boosters had fully charged up. If there was a place for worry, she was concerned about the armor. It seemed thin, but the machine was built for speed.

"That type of skill doesn't deteriorate in people. Besides, how are you hand-to-hand abilities? Well above average, if I'm not mistaken."

"And if I haven't been training myself?"

"Again, that shouldn't really matter. But if you happen to fail…"

"I won't." She pushed the thrusters ahead, speeding off towards the fray while he kept at the current pace. As soon as she arrived in the epicenter of the conflict, she watched as another plane was shot out of the sky, falling with incredible speed. Off in the distance, it crashed, burning the surrounding forests into thin wisps of charcoal. Only one remained above, flying well above the limit of the rounds that were constantly being fired. Using this cover, she sped in, coming up directly behind the first Knightmare she saw. Both arms wrapped around the torso and tore both arms off, throwing them aside. It turned around just as she ripped the head off and chucked it directly towards the body, urging the man inside to eject. He screamed into his microphone, causing the three others around him to turn towards the girl. "Zero, I've broken through. What am I going for here?"

"Clear out the path so we can infiltrate the main facility. Simple enough."

"Yes, it is." She pulled out the sword and aimed up the weapon attached to the arm, strafing as she drove the rounds into the surrounding opponents. One blindsided her, spinning her around as it shot one of the cables out at the girl. She grabbed it and pulled the mecha towards her, holding the blade out as it rammed directly through the torso. As she pulled it out, the control pod exploded, disintegrating the entire machine. Holding out the sword, the other Knightmares stopped their approach, all aiming their rifles directly at her. Each second they stared each other down, more units started to surround her, adding to her odds.

"So, did you lose you ability," Lelouch asked sardonically as he sped behind the enemies, shooting in every random direction. A few Knightmares evaded the attack, while others took the bullets, some falling to the ground crippled.

"Ha, I'm just waiting for an experienced pilot. That would be a true test."

"You may have you wish yet." As he said that, the last plane ducked low, flying closer to the ground than ever. It started dropping its entire payload, decimating everything in the straight path that it flew. Kallen and Lelouch moved directly out of the way, watching a large majority of the enemy forces disappear into nothing. Still, a large steel door opened, letting in an influx of more troops. Above, a few dropships appeared, landing around the facility. But, Japanese troops poured out of the small doors, the group troops instantly adding cover fire to the Knightmares. "Tch, Japanese. I wasn't expecting this."

"Lelouch, what are your plans?"

"Move into the base; let them deal with the forces. I doubt they can hold them off, but they will be a decent distraction, to say the least."

"All right." She didn't want to look over at the fighting forces, if only to avoid looking upon her friends fighting a pointless battle. Others moved into the base, small transport vehicles driving in. Both rogue Knightmares destroyed one of the walls, following a small group of troops moving deeper into the area. Lelouch watched a display, scanning a 3D image of the base's layout.

"Carine should be in the deepest chamber. I want to capture her, alive. If not possible, we shall show no mercy."

"Carine…"

"Yes, she is leading the current Britannia, yet she still has the violent ambition that tends to linger around my family. All of my cousins have that trait." They passed the Japanese, who moved down into the prison bays below the facility. However, they were the only people in the base with them; all of the others were outside, fighting off forces only for the sake of being a decoy for the escaping transport, which reported into Britannian soil only hours before. Outside, thunder started to sound, boisterous and frightening. The rain was heavy, blocking out all visibility for both Knightmare and ground troops alike. "But, you already know a bit about my family's history." But before she could answer, a mecha burst through the wall before them, its model completely different from the ones they were previously fighting. One hand reached out, grabbing Lelouch's Knightmare and crushing the neck attaching the head to the base. He ejected out, jettisoning into the nearby wall. His pod ripped through the strong surface, landing in an empty hall. He dusted himself off, opening the door of the pod. Casting the machine aside, he lunged at Kallen, but she easily sidestepped, readying her weapon.

"You seem more capable than the others guarding the base. Why not identify yourself?"

"Why would I do something so foolish? You filthy elevens don't deserve even being in the presence of one as myself."

"I didn't realize that anybody called us "elevens" any longer. Those days have long passed." She laughed at this, almost directly insulting the intolerance of the man. He could understand when he was being mocked, but instead of overreact, he merely scoffed it off.

"That may be true," he started, firing his weapon in the small corridor. "But, it doesn't mean that everyone wishes for them to pass." All of the bullets scarred the halls, leaving large dents in the brilliant wallpaper. Kallen spun around, arcing the blade towards the figure. It clipped his shoulder, ripping off a small part of the arm. Her mecha only had one grappling coil, yet it easily penetrated the enemy's armor, clipping them together. "Hah, you're a better fighter than you let on. I haven't seen such skill since the Black Rebellion."

"I could easily say the same, yet most I fought would not be around to make such _grande _statements." She pulled him towards her, holding the vehicle's second blade out. He dodged, grabbing the sword and flinging it away from them. _"This would be a hell of a lot easier if I had my Radiation Arm… But, I'll make due._" She sent a punch, ramming directly into the lower torso.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" He grabbed the arm, slowly adding tremendous pressure to it. Before long, it started to feel the effects of the strain, crumpling. Yet, she started firing the small mounted weapon on the end of the arm, the bullets ricocheting around the body of the enemy vehicle. The Britannian pushed away, dragging the arm with him. It dislodged, exploding in the direct vicinity of her opponent. Kallen checked every system, all of the status beacons reading in red. She was almost completely defenseless: one arm was destroyed and the other was almost inoperable. Bullets riddled the legs and body, the head taking almost no damage. Now, her energy filler was almost empty, a small electronic beeping telling her to refill it. But, as the smoke and dust cleared, he saw that her enemy's was in a bigger state of disrepair. His was completely destroyed, save for small control pod and one of the legs, which was releasing a thin mist. Using the last energy, she moved over towards the pod.

"So, do you wish to tell me your name, now?" Her mind was racing with endorphins, the battle sating a lost appetite that she once had constantly felt. It was enthralling, almost exhilarating. In her head, she laughed and danced on his grave.

"I may hate your filthy breed, but I'm a gentleman, coming from a prestigious family. Even we know when we've been defeated." Still, he coughed between each wheezing breath, the destroyed pod pressing up against his body with incredible force. Slowly, he was being crushed, but it didn't do much to instill fear in him. The man understood his death was coming almost as soon as he had volunteered for such an operation.

"So, enlighten me." She had placed herself so that she could easily fall upon her enemy, crushing him in a final swoop. "I like to know the names of my causalities."

"Very witty of you. I'm Claudio Darlton, the last surviving member of my family, and the seventh Knight to her Empress Carine. You needn't tell me your own name, though."

"And why is that?"

"You are the pilot behind the old Guren, Kallen Stadtfeld. You have a Britannian surname, yet you fight your brethren. How could you forsake you home, especially for these dogs?"

"Craven cur. You should not speak of my family's bloodlines and ties. I owe my alliance to few; I would never sell my soul to such idiocy."

"Such contempt. I can see why my father respected some of you elevens. He even bothered to coddle that honorary Britannian in our service, and still he lies far in the ground."

"How can you speak of family and pride when you spit on your own name?"

"What name do I have left? We were adopted sons, and yet, I am the last. Perhaps you remembered the ones you killed. We were the honorable side of our taken name, but it has disappeared."

"It's hard to understand how you can keep your name, when it means nothing to you."

"You misunderstand me, impudent girl. My father was a fool, but that doesn't mean that we were not. We five were the epitome of honor and grace amongst the Britannian army, worth and respected more than any of you worthless savages.

"What foolishness. I have my pride, yet you Britannian's are all the same. You look down upon others, unless it furthers your greed in some way. At least Andreas was a civil man, even if he kept in poor company. Your nothing." She ejected from her Knightmare, letting it fall down upon Claudio's escape pod. Along with crushing it, her Knightmare exploded, killing him completely. "I've lived with someone almost as bad as you, you son of a bitch. But, I guess I'll hear none of your prattling." She turned around, watching as Lelouch moved back towards her. He was holding a small assault rifle in both arms, handing her one when they met up.

"She's not here. The snake must have left hours ago, leaving behind how many to hide herself… I can honor her for using such a tactic, at least."

"So, what's the plan, now?"

"We follow her path. She's gone back to Britannia, perhaps to request the aid of Guinevere or Cornelia. They happen to be the last of my family, except for Odysseus and my brother, but I do not expect much from them. Where else do they have to run, and where else can we go?" He started walking away, heading towards one of the vehicles that the Japanese army had left. But, the elevator started to arrive on their floor, prompting both to speed up.

"Guinevere? What of your own sister Nunnally?"

"My sister, a girl of frivolous things. However, she does have a mind for revenge and is surprising merciless. A worthy ally for some…" He breathed in, looking around. "As for Nunnally, I don't want to have her in any future vision or plan. It's best she still think me as dead."

"Hmm. Well, I'm beginning to see a pattern. How many other brothers and sisters, or cousins, do you have waiting in the wings, those not close to you?"

"Countless, mayhap more. But, it is a status that holds no value any longer. They won't be able to present themselves like my direct relatives have. I would like to meet with Cornelia, though. I can't see her having any part of this. And as for close to me? Funny."

"Why would that be? Isn't she loyal towards the country?"

"Very much so, but she had been shaken due to all that had happened yesteryear. It placed an incredible amount of strain on her. But, didn't you associate yourself with her when rebelling against me?"

"I was about to be executed," she said flatly, both walking somewhat slowly.

"Let us move on to another topic. Perhaps we should focus on the task at hand." She turned away, as they furthered themselves away from smoking debris behind them. Fire seemed to pour out of every orifice in the building, small battle scared walls littered with holes, painted with blood.

"What of C.C.?" The question came out of no where, her trying to add a layer of sympathy to the other in her party.

"Is this concern I hear? I honestly thought you hated the witch." He smiled, looking over at her as she raised both eyebrows.

"Indeed, I do. It doesn't really matter, though. Perhaps it would be wise to bring here, however. She is a witch, anyway." Hearing this, the young man laughed a little. It was almost completely silent in the room, his laughter echoing through the entire area. Fire cracked in the background, yet it didn't seem to make the appropriate sound.

_"Eerie," _said her mind.

"Exactly. She can handle herself, as can we. Besides, I doubt that she could handle someone as you just did." Stopping, he turned directly towards the pair of steel doors that watched out over the entire area, the small light panel atop the door lighting up. A metallic ping sounded off with the. "Come on; let's get out of here, quickly." He jumped into the driver seat of a small military Jeep, letting Kallen get into the passenger side. The elevator near them opened, revealing a small group of Japanese soldiers. Amongst them was Nagisa, who stared off towards her. Their eyes met, both with looks of surprise. Next to the girl was Sayako, still wearing the prison garb that she was assigned long ago. They paid little heed to the group that was taking the vehicle, leaving them only with the small transport.

"Go," she whispered, and the car sped off. Sayako looked up for a split second, catching a glimpse of Lelouch before he disappeared out of sight. At first, she didn't understand who she was looking at, but then it clicked. And he was gone, both leaving the base. No one saw what happened to them after, but the Jeep was found, its fuel completely empty, near one of the other military bases near Okinawa. Two of the base's Knightmares were gone, both newer models.

* * *

C.C. moved quickly into one of the civilian transports that were heading out toward China, its primary destination Hong Kong. There were no guards in the area, letting her slip on the vehicle with few problems. Leaning up against one of the cargo bay walls, she closed her eyes and gently slipped off to sleep, until the transport landed in the middle of the city. She had slept with the pistol in her hand, but upon waking up, she easily adjusted to the new day. Small rays of light perforated through the grated windows, lightly up only small fractions of the entire area. Large crates and steel boxes were stacked upon each other, watching the girl as she searched the entire storage cab for an exit. Small hatches lined the bottom of the craft, allowing her to easily slip out and into the service tunnels located below the refueling station. Tubes exuded large clouds of steam, her hair blowing back a little. Beads of perspiration started pooling on her head, prompting her to move down the claustrophobic space quickly. She clamored up a service ladder, which finally freed her, opening up into the busy city center of Hong Kong. Behind her sat the transport craft, idly waiting to refuel and move out. Holstering the handgun, she moved into a dark ally, running alongside one of the stone walls. It led up to a highway, the cars speeding along below.

"C.C., are you in China yet," asked the scratchy voice on the communicator.

"Yes, Lelouch. In fact, I'm looking at the Chinese Embassy as we speak. Are you completely positive that Zero is here?"

"Yes. I wouldn't doubt for a second that he has a plan for the country. Watch yourself for he is still as deadly as before, if not somewhat psychotic."

"I've dealt with someone with psychotic delusions of grandeur. You don't need to worry about me, although I don't have the luxury of Ms. Kallen with me."

"So, even you will worry about her? She was speaking about you earlier. Something must be happening between you both."

"Even I didn't think you to be that dim, Lelouch. It doesn't matter, though. I'll inform you when I find Zero." She killed the communication, moving back to the task at hand. She shook her head and threw the small headset to the ground, watching as it hit the concrete and shattered, and sent small electronic parts around the littered streets. Tossing her hair back, she started running towards the back end of the building.

"My, my. Aren't you all in interesting moods lately," he said to himself, almost completely across the world from the lime-haired girl.

* * *

"Guinevere, it is a grand to see you." Carine walked proudly through the large hall, the newly created Ares manor standing tall in the city of Avalon. The city had been converted to the new capital of Britannian, housing almost all surviving royal families, including those who had survived the destruction of Pendragon. Outside, the sun was shining brightly through the large glass windows that stood before the house, guarding it with stalwart faces. Maids dashed back and forth, few accompanied by women and men in regal attire. They met in the middle of the room, hugging each other.

"Carine. I am truly surprised to see you here, back at home. Where have you been in the past few days?"

"Busy, dealing with some trouble in the East."

"Where are Schneizel and Nunnally? Did they not accompany you when you had left the area?"

"They are both gone; I do not know exactly where our dear brother is, but I doubt that he is far from our cousin. I could care less, however, about that girl."

"You must have some patience with the girl. She does not have the bloodlust you do, but that does not mean you should hate each other; or rather, that you should hate her. Look at the state of our family. We need to hold together all of those that we can, lest we fall into nothingness. Please, for me, Carine."

"I apologize, Guiny." She smiled at her, an honest look, one that would not usually be seen in the girl. If there was ever a person she respected and looked towards, it would be her, both having grown close as girls. The nickname never seemed to bother the older of the two.

"It is fine. Now, let us meet in the parlor room and discuss what has happened over the past few weeks. If I'm not mistaken, you have come to request some aid, do you not?"

"Am I that easy to read?"

"Come. I do not mind." Lead her along, both left, planning to meet with a few others. The garden outside perked up, the colorful spectrum of colors waving at the guests moving into the large house. Beyond the horizon, the large surrounding forest was abuzz with activity. Large planes were starting to take off from the Britannian military base, located on the Royal family grounds. A large squadron of Knightmare Frames came up from a few small elevators; all of them equipped with newly designed float systems. The Yggdrasil Drives started up, the small Core Luminous spinning at a speed never-before achieved. Six of them stood around, all specially designed machines. Small print sat on the side of each one, reading off a different label, each one designating them to some purpose. They all took off into the sky, but they did not travel far, only going miles to the west. A storm was rolling in from the Pacific Ocean; it would be a sign of things to come.

* * *

Lelouch and Kallen flew over the calamitous seas, watching the waves below ravage each other, tossing and throwing themselves in every direction. A foamy breath launched up, pressing itself at the low-flying legs of the machines, coating them in a glossy sheen. There was no eye-in-the-storm allowing them sanctuary from the rain, the thunder that seemed to reach out and tap their shoulders every other moment. Kallen spun the head around, scanning behind them, only to watch the ocean threaten her. A crest swelled up, washing a shadow darker than the skies over them both. She looked over at her partner, watching as he pressed on, un-fazed by everything.

"Should we stay in this any longer," she asked, folding down the Factsphere on the front of her Knightmare. A large 3D map appeared on the base of her displays, the flat plain extending out further. It was an image of the surrounding areas, but it only registered the ocean for miles. No islands allowed them to pause their trip, to permit them to hold a small fraction of solid land and wait out the storm. She was jealous at how it didn't bother him, and then, thinking about it, nothing seemed to. In the distance, a large tanker vessel sat at the edge of her map, rocking back and forth on the waves.

"No, we shouldn't. My energy filler is running low, and I doubt these are models built for the ocean." He dropped closer to the water, almost immersing himself in the cool liquid. She didn't follow suit, only closing the gap between them both.

"I was hoping you would say something like that. I've spotted a tanker off in the distance. That is our only choice if we want to land and check out our situation."

"Who does it belong to?"

"I'm checking it now." A few rapid button presses brought up a wire-frame image along with all of the registries and ledgers about the ship. She scanned through a few different charts, watching as the technical text slipped down the page. "It's unmarked, but going to Britannia. Cpt. Newell, an experienced captain from Scotland, before the E.U. came around. His bio says he keeps out of politics, so he probably doesn't have much of an opinion for any of the big names."

"Good. Let's drop in. Quietly," he added, as he started moving towards the North, the ship coming up in their vision. "We don't want to cause a commotion." They moved down, coasting just below the line of sight. Kallen reached up, grabbing the side of the ship. Barely peering over at the deck, she moved up, the only source of light emanating from the large control room stories above them. Both hid behind a few different, large cargo containers, turning on their magnetic locks, allowing them to maintain balance while the sea still was wrapped up in a furious fight with itself. She turned all of her systems except the power; she let it stand in place, the spent energy slowly filling back into the reservoirs. Lelouch did the same, but got out of his, if only to stand in the rain. He put his foot into the small place, the rope lowering him to the ground. He walked over to a railing, holding on as he looked up into the sky. Rain pelted him, pressing the long black strands down across his eyes, covering up everything. Slightly, he laughed a little, cackling directly at Mother Nature. Kallen didn't pay any heed to it, only closing her eyes for a minute of rest. Everything was masked in the fury of the storm, leaving a thick veil of darkness over the world. They were only a couple hundred miles from the coast of Britannia.

"Why do you continue this path," she softly asked. The sky melded together, dancing back and forth about in a swirl of dark colors. Everything had a lethargic haze about it, giving it a mystic feel. Both looked at each other, her face fraught with deprivation.

"When somebody wins, the fighting will end. But, that somebody has to be me."

* * *

**As always, ill try and update relatively soon. Thanks, and read and review, like usual. XD -AMP**


	8. Turn 8: Memento Mori

**Hey, everyone. I know, i know. Let me just say, i have _slowly _been trying to address all of the errors and etc that everyone has been trying to tell me about. I'm also sorry about how complex the character conversations and who's talking can be... Again, ive been _trying _to get to these problems, but please dont assault me if i haven't done my best job with it yet. It's all in due time. Now, if you'd like, please, enjoy chapter 8 of KotR. THANKS!!! :**

* * *

Kallen looked back at the large plumb of smoke rising out of the forest behind them, the raging flame slowly dying down into a brief crimson flicker, dancing back and forth behind the many different green shrouds. The dark light washed over her haggard face, the black rims beneath the eyes growing incredibly. She sighed and turned around, looking at the unconscious figure only feet away from where she sat. His body was ripped around the torso, many different entry wounds scarring up and down his chest. Blood soaked his outfit, but it had dried due to the heat of the nearby fire. Char stained his skin, and he cringed in his sleep, his face grimacing. She touched her own would, the raw skin cut and ripped, blood seeping out around the small abrasion. Sweat continued to drip off the edges of her hair, the red strands clinging to each part of her head. Taking a deep breath in, she started coughing, the acrid, dirty air nearly a poisonous miasma that encapsulated them both. At her feet sat a small piece of her Knightmare, the destroyed Yggdrasil Drive in shattered fragments. Each piece glowed with energy, yet they were cold to the touch. Turning, she edged back to the boy on the ground, a small tear falling from her face. It fell on his burnt skin, slightly smearing the dark stains that streaked across his face. But, a smile seemed to break out from all the surrounding depression; in the distance, the calming sound of a small waterfall could be heard, her ears pricking up at this. Instinctively, she stood up, her grimy frame begging for the brusque push of water. Did she dare to leave the wounded boy for even a moment, to leave her vulnerability out in the open? Was it worth it, if only for the slim chance of a fleeting comfort? Inside, she chuckled and picked up the bent body, her hefting the surprising heavy body. All the weight pressed down on her tired arms, each one slowly threatening to give out, but she gritted her teeth, smiling as she walked away from the giant wreckage. Lelouch seemed to smile in his sleep. The sun was just starting to rise out of the sky, the light burning both eyes.

* * *

Suzaku, making it a habit to never take his mask off, sat in his personal quarters, one that watched over the entire Hong Kong city quarter. His mask was clean, his reflection infinitively flashing back and forth between the glossy sheen that washed over the black oval and the new window pane before him. Behind, the sliding door flew into its bay, a young girl walking in. She wore a small outfit, one resembling a traditional maid's outfit. Both eyes were surrounded by a thin red circle, a permanent smile emblazoned over her face, the old expressions lost in the sea that he now controlled.

"Master Zero, all of the Britannian diplomats in China have arrived. They are all waiting up with the High Council on the top floor. However, we have separated both groups as you had requested." She spoke with incredible speed, yet each word was accented clearly, her chiming in on certain words. Suzaku took it all in at once, turning, his black cape flying back. It washed over the reflected window, smudging out anything that looked back at him. "Is there anything else you wish for, Master?" Underneath, Zero smiled; the purported respect that was being perfected each day was a breath of fresh air for him. Too long, he decided, that it had been since he had been treated as such.

"Not now, Ciao Xing. I will call on you if I need anything at all."

"Thank you, Master." The girl, barely older than 19, bowed low, but Suzaku grabbed her gentle face, staring into the eyes that looked back at him, but they were blank. She didn't seem to care, as it should have been, that he had touched such an unobtainable beauty. Yet, he was never endowed with such a privilege. Inside, a small fragment of his sanity argued, a losing battle, with his current self. He pushed the girl back, her face slowly turning a shade of red, the raw skin barely bothering her.

"Get out of my sight," he shouted, clutching the part of his mask that Lelouch had last touched, feeling nothing like he did that day. The girl left, leaving him in the silence that accompanied him at all times. Holding a small key, Suzaku walked over to a small box that sat near the desk in the room, inserting it into the base of the device. It opened, folding away at the sides. Staring back at him was the same mask he wore, yet this one still had the old, crusted blood stains, the fingerprints that Lelouch last left him with, his only fragment of the old times he wished to revive. Automatically, he slipped off his right glove and brought his hand up to it, touching the flaking material. In his hand it crumbled, each finger embedding the crimson colored dust into each small divot and valley that made his own distinctive fingerprints. Again, the door slid open, another girl walking in. It snapped him out of his small hell, fishing him back out into the cold world. Turning around, he looked at the frail girl. "Nunnally…" That small fragment of him that often fought a seemingly endless, futile battle came out, a genuine smile crossing his old face and person, not bringing up the possessed mind that he now wore as a suit. "How are you this evening, Nunnally?"

"Suzaku, please. What is going on? Why are these people here?"

"People?"

"I am not blind, as I once was. You cannot hide such things from me any longer. Mayhap it was you who my brother assigned to take care of me, but I cannot allow you to keep large secrets from me."

"I don't wish to keep things from you."

"Take off that mask, if only for a minute, Suzaku. I cannot bear to watch myself in it any longer than I already have. Can you not cast it aside; why not embrace another persona?" She spoke with the thoughts of a few others, once when they could have thought on their own. Now, she was the only untainted. "For me," she asked, looking at him.

"Nunnally, if only for you. I can only do this for but a moment." He gripped the back, pressing the hidden button. It slid forth, folding away, leaving his face in the middle. She looked with interest, moving closer to him. His skin was pale, both eyes the same as Lelouch's had once been. At this, she gasped, coving her mouth. "What?"

"Your eyes… You have the devil's power. Why did you not tell me?" She closed both eyes and looked away.

"For your safety. What good would have come if you knew that I had this power? I don't want you to still go through what you had in the years past. I don't want another Euphemia…" He still clung to the girl's death, everything slowly coming back to haunt him.

"But you consider this better for me?" She thought she was looking into the past, looking at Lelouch as he was forced to use the power on her, one of the first things she had seen upon regaining her sight. "I don't want another Princess Massacre either, but what have you done with your power? And all of the Britannians here?"

"Do not worry, Nunnally. Trust me, please." He stepped towards her, his arms out. She held an arm up to her chest, looking at him with betrayal. Still, she cautiously walked into his embrace. "Just believe in me. I am doing everything for you."

_"Are you…?" _

* * *

"Guests," said Zero as he entered the large meeting room again. "Honored Britannians, I am glad to see you here."

"Ah, the illustrious Zero," said one, them all looking the same to him. "I am pleased to see that our forced capture made you happy."

"Would you prefer dying like a dog in our recent conflicts? It is such an easy thing to accomplish in this day and age."

"Now, Zero," said another. He didn't want to bother with names. To him, they were all rubbish, all fools who would be mindless drones, Geass or not. "How about we get down to business rather then waste our times insulting each other."

"Wise decision." He turned, looking at the different waitresses move into the large room. They marched up and down the rows of people, handing out various drinks, each person preferring something different from the man or woman in front of them. It took only a few minutes, with the girls leaving soon after. A few people were frightened by the presence, studying the blank faces with caution. A smaller fraction noticed the red rings around each eye, their minds trying to remember where in the past they had seen such a phenomenon. "Now," finished Suzaku, turning back, both of his eyes open to the entire group of people. The room started getting boisterous; some people slamming the cups into the tables while others sprang up, shouting loudly. Outside the room, the guards kept watch, none of them hearing anything that was happening inside.

"Zero, what manner of games is this," shouted many together. Some had small guns, holding them up to the level of Suzaku's mask. Zero brought his hand up, covering up one eye with arced fingers. Taking them away, he pointing at all of them, each one's attention drawn to the different motions he displayed. None bothered to look away, a transfixing quality he had without the Geass.

"I, Suzaku Kururugi, command you all to serve Zero!" The Geass shot out, flooding into the minds of each person in the room. He watched as they all tried to fight it, some instantly succumbing to it while others clenched their fists as they slowly stood up, the many different weapons clattering to the thinly carpeted floor.

"Yes, My Lord," they all shouted in unison, a resounding chorus coming from the many different Britannians. He looked back and forth throughout the room, each eye shaded with the color red. Laughing, he sat down in the swivel chair beneath him, turning around to the window.

"Now, I have a task for each and every one of you." Outside, the guards turned to the elevator as it arrived on the top floor, the metal doors sliding open. Each one brought the large rifles they carried down to their hips, aiming at whoever was coming out. Nunnally stepped out, surprised by the armed guards. She slightly shrieked, but the guards brought their weapons back up. One came over to her, beckoning to the elevator.

"Excuse me, Ms. Nunnally, but Zero has asked us that no one be allowed on this floor while it is in use." He pushed her, but she struggled a little, trying to look into the glass meeting room. All of the denizens of the room were standing up, their posture nearly perfect. She was confused, but the guard pressed a random button on the control panel, the door sliding closed; the elevator left, moving down over ten floors, the girl closer to the lobby. She tried pressing the top floor button again, but it didn't respond, not even bothering to light up. Having nothing else to do, she punched the control panel and left the small elevator, it closing and leaving the floor almost instantly upon her leaving.

One of the guards came up to the door, knocking on the meeting room double doors. Zero stopped, turning around. He opened it, looking at the guard, each who wore a mask to hide any sense of their facial expressions. "Yes," questioned the masked man.

"Ms. Nunnally just attempted to get a hold of you, even arriving on this floor to see you. However, we stopped her and sent her back down. I don't believe that she saw anything that was happening, but we cannot be too sure."

"I see," he said, but his mind was shouting "damn". "Please, I will do something in a matter of minutes. First, let me see to my business. Make sure that Nunnally does not leave the building."

"Yes, my liege." The door shut, leaving Zero to conclude his business with the many waiting Britannians.

"Now, for your tasks," he said, looking out at the airport, many of the planes coming back and forth, flying nearby as they moved between Japan and all of the other nations near them.

* * *

C.C. moved into the embassy with little trouble, her hair hidden in a large hat that she wore. The clerk at the front desk smiled at her, but didn't say anything, her instantly returning to whatever business she first had. C.C. moved past, slowly approaching the elevators with a nonchalant attitude. A metallic ping sounded, the doors sliding open as she passed. A large swell of Britannians walked out, each one moving in an organized line; C.C. looked out of the corner of her eye, instantly realizing what was happening. Glasses hid her eyes, yet they were only the slightest safety precaution. Sneaking backwards, she casually slipped into the newly empty elevator, letting it slowly motor up to the last floor it was on. Hugging against one of the walls, she grabbed a small handgun she always carried with her, sliding back the top. On the small electronic monitor, she watched the floors pass by her. First two, then five and finally eight floors passed before stopping on the 11th, when the doors opened. She held her breath, the time seemingly taking forever before she stepped out. Looking left and right, she found the area empty. A large meeting room sat in the middle of the floor, making itself the prime purpose of the entire area.

"Where are you, Suzaku," she said aloud, checking each empty room. They led into pointless places: either they were empty storage closets or waiting rooms, both of which hadn't been used in ages. However, they were all immaculate, no dust sitting on anything. C.C. walked into one, looking out at the city.

"Beautiful view isn't it," said the sleek voice of Suzaku from behind. C.C. didn't bother to turn around, her gun falling to her side. "But, rather, I'm surprised to see such a beauty here." He walked up, closing the gap between both. It was then that she turned around, bringing the pistol up to his chest.

"I haven't actually ever spoken to you. Did you know that?" She reached a hand out, the boy recoiling a few feet back. He still had nightmares at night, ones that she had caused upon a simple touch. If there was one thing that he still feared, it was the enigma. Suzaku looked at the weapon, but his "Live" command wasn't tugging on his mind. Slowly, he uncovered his eyes, staring at C.C.'s.

"Perhaps a command is in order." Suzaku smiled, his Geass flaring up in each eye.

"Haha," C.C. laughed. "Perhaps I should explain all the rules to your power. But, I have a question first." She walked past, brushing her hand up against the boy. He instantly stiffened up, his mind spinning. "But, you seem a little… down." Suzaku fell over, the paralyzing fear taking over his entire being. His eyes opened wide, him compulsively gagging over and over again. "I'm surprised that you still haven't overcome this hurdle." She pressed the small button on the back of the mask, grabbing it as it folded back into her hand. "I remember this thing fondly."

* * *

Carine and Guinevere both walked through the small garden behind the large Royal Manor, both finding a clear patch of jade grass, the blades rising barely into the air. Everything was well tended for, the flowers in full bloom. The girls both smiled at each other, another figure walking out to meet both. It was Gino, a smile on his face. The air was aromatic, each plant passing small wafts of pollen and lilac past his face. There was no wind, the sky completely cloud free. Everything met them as a perfect day. In the distance, that same dark plume had died down, masking wherever the opponents had gone down.

"Gino, I'm glad to see you back safe and sound. I was worried to learn that someone had gotten so close to the city."

"Thank you, Lady Carine. It was only my duty. I would gladly perform such an able task again." He sat down, crossing his long legs. He smiled and laughed, a small butterfly fluttering on by his face, his finger reaching out for the insect to perch on. Hours earlier, Zero had called the girl, his voice still filled with arrogance.

* * *

"Carine, I have some news for you," said Suzaku on the other end. It was early in the morning, the sun still asleep. She looked around, a panic filling her mind. "I hope you haven't hung up yet…" She held her breath, but the other girl who shared the room slept on.

"No. What news is it?" She was quiet, holding a shaking hand over the receiver.

"Two have closed in on your city. Perhaps assassins, maybe not. I couldn't tell you any specifics, yet there is truth in what I say."

"How can I believe such idle threats?"

"Are they truly idle? What if they were to make it into the city, to attack the heart of where you live? They could easily take your life, the lives of any one else there." You could not hear him breathing, almost as if he didn't need to.

"Why would you send people after me if you could easily take care of me while I was in Japan?"

"Exactly. They are not mine. I only wish to see you well. Please, take these warnings."

"Zero, what game are you playing?"

"No game." He hung up, leaving the line dead. She only looked at it in disbelief, setting it down with caution. It was only a few steps away to the bedrooms of the Knights, her immediate destination. And so, she carefully walked into Gino's room, gently waking the young pilot.

* * *

"Gino, we have a small situation." His trained eyes snapped oven, him sitting perfectly upright. The explanation only took a matter of seconds, the young man suiting up and leaving for the large hanger located underneath the manor. The Knightmare's key hung around his neck, his body showing no signs of fatigue. Carine watched the single vehicle leave the manor, flying up into the sky. It stood there, scanning every direction before darting off to the west, greeting the sun as it started to rise into the dark sky.

"Did you ever find out who it was?" She had a small cup of tea sitting out, one of each of the members joining the small picnic. Gino raised an eyebrow as he took a sip of the drink, setting the steaming liquid down.

"No. The models were familiar, older Japanese ones, but it didn't have any distinct markings on them. Both pilots seemingly ejected, but I destroyed the pods as they landed. After surveying the damage, I couldn't find anything that would tell us where they came from." He took another sip, turning his attention to the silent Guinevere. "Only hint is that they're Japanese."

"That would make sense, but how did they even get close enough to us? I didn't think they had the people experienced enough to do something like this."

"Oh, they do have a certain pilot who is one of the best in the world, but I doubt she would get herself involved in anything like this. Last time I saw her, she was slowly unraveling herself. A bad case of depression, stuff like that."

"Hmm. Do you know her name?" Carine was genuinely interested. It was almost as if they were gossiping about something trivial, as she often use to spend her time.

"Yeah, it's Kallen Kouzuki, but she's also known by Kallen Stadtfeld. Her father is one of the Stadtfelds, but she didn't say much about him; he's dead, isn't he?" Both girls looked at each other, both surprised.

"Mr. Stadtfeld… I can hardly remember the last time I saw him. He was one of our royal retainers over in Japan. He and the Ashfords were the big two, but we slowly lost contact with him. But, if he has a half-Japanese daughter, then that means that he has a wife over there."

"I know his wife is dead," said Gino. "That was one reason that the daughter was so depressed. In all regards, we both had a small meeting over in Japan, when I was stationed north of Tokyo. It wasn't the best meeting, but…"

"So, it could have been her?" Carine shifted where she sat, Guinevere laughing at this.

"I don't think it could have been. Although the Frame the people drove were older models, they almost put up no fight. I did sneak up on them, but it would be hard to believe it was her."

"There is little point in thinking about it," finally said Guinevere, her voice calm as usual. She was the sensible one, thinking the least into most situations. She took everything with a grain of salt, but could be erratic, given a certain circumstance. Intelligent and deadly, she was intimidating, but you wouldn't be able to see that side of her just through basic conversation. It was almost as if she wore a disguise over them all. "It's done and if you took care of the pods, there is little chance that they will prove any problem to us now. Please, can we change the topic to something a little more suitable to this moment?"

"Haha," laughed Gino, smiling at both with his closed eyes. Another was coming towards them, another pilot having seen the small picnic. It was Jeremiah, walking through with the young Anya following behind. The small girl had given up all instances of fighting, turning to a simpler life among the tall man; he had welcomed her, thinking her a more positive light upon him, especially considering he had lost Villette to Ohgi, yet he didn't feel any hatred towards the Japanese for this. He was one of the few who truly opposed a direct conflict with the small island nation. The two walked by, giving their regards, but didn't stop. Anya was interested with the flowers, so both kept walking along the stone path that weaved through the garden. "Anya," asked Gino, confused at seeing the girl. They hadn't see each other in what seemed like years, but was only simply months. He had grown attached to the young girl in the past, the two bonding close although she hadn't a true personality.

"Gino, you may leave and catch up with them if you would like." Guinevere smiled at him, nodding in agreement.

"Then, if both ladies will excuse me," he said, picking himself up. He thanked them for the tea and set the cup and saucer on the ground, turning to the silhouettes on the distance, traveling further by the moment.

"You like him don't you," asked Carine, smiling coyly at Guinevere. "It's easy to read on your face." She blushed at this, looking at the man as he walked away, trying to hush her slightly. "Haha," she laughed.

"Why does that interest you?"

"It doesn't interest me too much, but I could tell you were growing jealous as he spoke of that other girl. I haven't seen you act as such in quite a while. Why not just court the knight? I doubt he'll have any objections."

"No. It just isn't the time to focus on those types of things. I should be leading my people, not bothering with trivial matters."

"And if I court the young knight? We are the same age." Carine smiled that wicked smile again. She looked at her, at how much she hadn't changed in all the years they had known each other. It was that conniving smile that had always gotten her out of whatever trouble she created. Always, she placed the blame on another, escaping to cause havoc elsewhere. It was the same, but subtly different.

"That's a grand way to show how grateful you are of my hospitality. But, do what you must. I will have no major quarrel with whatever you get yourself into."

"I am kidding, Guinevere," she said, smiling. "I only wished to test your reaction. If I may say so, it was worth it."

"I may be in a good mood, but that does not mean that it is time to joke about. We still have other things before we can rest as such. Come, help me clean this up."

"Why not leave it for the maids?"

"That is no mentality to have. Now, grab the blanket and fold it up." She pointed down at the small blanket, moving the porcelain out of the way. Carine grumbled as they moved the small picnic around, cleaning up efficiently. Again, Guinevere looked at her, thinking about her lack of responsibility. _"Oh, well. Another battle for another day," _she though, moving the china into the kitchen.

* * *

Kallen dipped herself into the cool pool that was hidden away from the large lake only a small walk away. Water fell from a small cliff, pouring down into the pool with incredible force. The sound of everything was masked by the crashing torrent, the avalanche of water cascading down on everything. She shook, the cold water running a chill down her spine. Slowly, she moved further into the pool, hanging her head into the icy daggers that poured down. Her exposed body slowly turned blue, the water colder than usual. Like always, she clutched the invisible small hidden knife she always carried around; the real thing was laying atop her pile clothes nearby, waiting on a rock for her to end the natural bath. Lelouch was still asleep, his body closer to the waterfall. A thin mist sprayed his face, cooling him in his sleep, although he first furrowed his nose, the bothersome droplets taking a short while to get use to. His burnt skin seemed to enjoy the water, the inflamed areas slowly losing some of their deadly fury. But, it didn't change the coloring. Kallen looked back over at him, her entire body shrouded by the falling water.

"Lelouch, you should take a dip," she said to him, laughing a little. Although he was asleep, she didn't really care. "It's not as cold as it may seem, but I'll understand if you don't want to come in while I'm here. Don't worry; I'll get out soon enough." She dove under, swimming into the depths below. Coming up, she flung her head backwards, the shorter hair flying back and sticking to her head, gluing in place. She pushed a large wet strand out of her eyes, the hair a dark purple in the dark waters. Finally, she stepped up onto the slippery rocks, grabbing her shirt and lingerie, the knife sliding off to the rock nearby. Out in the forest, a branch broke; in one second, she leapt up to dry land and held the knife out, crouching low to the ground. "Who's there," she screamed out at the dark forest. It reminded her of that instance with Suzaku on that island… Shaking her head, she moved ahead, a figure slowly immerging. Lelouch was beginning to wake up now, his distorted gaze spinning around. His ears only picked up on small things here and there, playing hell with him.

"It's true what they've said, Ms. Stadtfeld." A young boy came out, but he was incredible familiar to the girl.

"Rolo?" It was a splitting image of the boy. "What the hell… no, you died."

"Rolo? Oh, I am sorry. You are thinking of my brother, God rest his soul. We both are twins, identical, both coming from the same place. Maybe you remembered when Rolo entered the Geass Order to exterminate everyone with our power?"

"I wasn't a part of that, but I heard what happened. Every child was killed, or something like that?" She still held the knife firm behind her clothes, trying her best to hide her body from the young boy.

"Yes, but Rolo never told you something. Like, there was a survivor in the entire thing. One that he personally spared, one that he hid away from everyone else. Me."

"So, Rolo died. It wasn't either of our faults. He died by his own power, sacrificing himself." She remembered the battle vividly, as both tried to escape, Rolo pushing his power to the limit. Eventually, his heart would have succumbed to something; it was a merciful thing that happened.

"Either? So, Lelouch is here with you? Show him to me."

"You will do nothing to him." Kallen got in a more defensive position, ready to attack on any hint of movement.

"No, I don't wish any harm to him. I just want to see why my brother felt so… why he loved him as an actual brother. I want to know why he decided to honor him over me."

"He is over there. Be quiet, as he is sleeping." The brother nodded, moving slowly towards the wounded figure lying on the rocks; his face was grimacing in pain, as if he was anticipating something to happen to him. He just looked at Lelouch, studying over his pain-stricken face. It only lasted for ten seconds and the boy turned around, looking directly at Kallen.

"And what do you see in him?" She looked at the downed figure with her own caring gaze.

"Nothing that you would. Believe me, I understand full to well what my brother was thinking. He was a fool in the end, just as I had thought." She looked at him in disbelief, but he just started to walk away.

"Wait. What is your name?"

"Leo. I am your enemy. Do not forget my name." He turned and left, leaving them behind as they struggled to understand what had just happened. She looked back over at Lelouch, his face smiling.

"Lelouch, had you heard that?"

"Yes," he coughed. "Yes I did." She put on her clothes, fully realizing that she was naked the entire time. Her entire body seemed to blush, turning bright red. Lelouch laughed at this, smiling at her. His eyes couldn't seem to open all the way, a brilliant gash in the side of his head attributing to this. "Don't worry," he finished, "I didn't feel very threatened by him. He did look exactly like Rolo, however. And if he wanted to…"

"I know. He had Geass."

Kallen had picked up the boy, dragging and tripping over her feet as she tried to move him through the forest. He had fallen unconscious again, not bothering to even touch the water in the pool. If she were to look back, she would realize how far they were from the destroyed machines. The forest was looking nature and untainted. Old buildings, ones from years bygone, passed by, the wooden structures nearly hundreds of years old. A church rose up at the end of a dirt path, the trees hiding the large steeple. It was in a good condition, yet only small fractions of the roof had fallen to the ground; she looked at the other dilapidated buildings. _"Winter must be tough,"_ she thought, looking at how some had collapsed into themselves. She walked inside the church. All of the pews had been moved, leaving the large middle room empty. Only the stained glass was in a decent condition. An alter once stood near the front of the crowds, but now it was a small pile of rubble, crumbling due to time. Grass and other weeds shot out of the floor, creating soft patches in the middle of the wooden floor. She set the boy down on the grass, walking up to the alter. Stone was used to support the back of the structure, hefting most of the work from the foundation. She was amazed at the architecture, amazed at how long it had survived, amazed that they hadn't destroyed and cast it aside. It reminded her of the ancient temples in Japan, yet she would always visit them in a group, standing and gawking over a ticket booth to see such things. After inspecting the place, she sat down, breathing heavily. Kallen grabbed her small cellphone out of her pocket, looking at the device with disdain. It had no coverage, little battery left. But, she had been trained on how to convert the device to a homing beacon or a small radio, yet it wouldn't help them still. _"And, I've turned my back on my people. What would they do for me, even if they didn't know that it was us who attacked that base? I can't look back to Japan, not yet. I must redeem myself." _She sat on her knees and closed her eyes, going into a semi-meditative trance. Overhead, jets flew over, searching the forests for the last signs of life the old dwindling threat once brought.

* * *

"You cannot use Geass on me," said C.C., looking at Suzaku, who was on the ground, his hand clutching over his face. Rage was building up inside, but he tried to calm himself down. "I, no we immortal, are unaffected by Geass. We are Geass, in all aspects of the word."

"It can't affect you… Is Lelouch an immortal?"

"How do you know that Lelouch is alive anyway? What if I am just searching for another contract?"

"I doubt you would come to me, even if I didn't have this power. Only Lelouch would send you to watch me, or to eliminate me. He should have died; he should not even be bothering me with this now! Why, dammit, tell me why he is here!?" He turned and looked at the girl, both eyes dilated and insane.

"Does it matter? It shouldn't." C.C. stood up, moving out of the room, looking out another window. "If anything, you should worry about yourself. It seems like you're building up for a war. That should be your concern; and your Geass… You have an undesirable effect with your power."

"Undesirable effect? What are you speaking of?"

"Do you remember that young boy who called himself Lelouch's brother? Yes, you should as he was partially your responsibility."

"What of it?"

"He had Geass, but you should know that. His was special, almost completely artificial. But, in that, he had a fatal flaw. The power you have slowly affects you, in a subtle way at first. For him, it was his heart and that is how he died. For you, it could be a number of things."

"So, this is slowly killing me?"

"Simply put, yes. And I can tell you've used it incredibly. It's only a matter of time. Perhaps you felt a small pain every time you bothered to use your power?"

"Shut up, you bitch," he shouted at her, grabbing the small pistol around his waste. He pointed it at her torso and fired a round, watching her eyes go wide as she grabbed her sides and collapsed to the ground. He kicked her on the ground, watching her try and react to the pain. "You might not be able to die, but I'm sure you can feel this. Why not call out for him?"

"Suzaku," she started, coughing small spats of blood. "You are… truly pathetic." He stopped and looked at her, pointing the gun down again.

"Truly? I couldn't care now. But, you still have to tell me something. Is Lelouch an immortal?! Tell me!" He pressed the cold steel against her head.

"I can tell you what… your Geass is affecting. You've lost… your humanity; you're losing your mind. Ha..ha. You haven't even fulfilled a contract… but, how… did you get your powers? It matters not." She closed her eyes, barely wheezing any more. Suzaku just got angrier. It took him a short while to realize that he didn't have his mask on, the black orb having rolled away from the girl upon her being shot. Picking it up, he looked at all the blood smeared on the side and threw it at the window, watching as it shattered the glass and plummeted to the ground outside.

* * *

"Nunnally," said Schneizel sitting down next to her. "How are you doing, Sister?" His eyes were also still rimmed with the red glow. Nunnally didn't bother to meet his gaze.

"I am fine," she said, exhaling. "I haven't seen you in a while, Brother. What are you doing here?" But, she already knew that answer. Everything, she slowly realized, revolved around Suzaku and Zero, and the more she learned, the more she started to hate the boy who once called her and her brother best friends.

"Zero has summoned me. But, I wouldn't miss a chance to see you." She faked a smile at him, kicking herself inside. She couldn't stand how Zero would change everyone, leaving her with a world build by the compulsive lies that were built up from ages bygone. Often, Nunnally found herself slamming her fist down whatever surface was unlucky enough to be near. And at night, she cried, to herself, cursing her own existence. _"Lelouch, if you even saw how everything had turned out, what would you do? Suzaku has lost everything, and he is slowly losing me. I can't even see what will turn out… I-I hate this…" _Her nails dug into her palm, but Schneizel just tilted his head in confusion, looking up and down her. "Are you okay, Sister? Is there something that I can do?"

"I'm fine. Please, can I have some time alone? I need to do some thinking…"

"Yes. If you need anything, do not be afraid to ask." He stood up and pushed his chair in, leaving the room. Once outside, the door close, but he didn't leave. Hugging up against the wall, he stood out of sight and watched. Nothing seemed to happen, but he had his orders. That was the only thing in the world that made sense to him.

* * *

Kallen sat down next to Lelouch, her head lying on his chest, listening to the slow heartbeat. It was almost nonexistent, barely making an impression as he tried to struggle for a breath, his mouth awkwardly opening to gasp for a few seconds of air. She lifted her head, turning to look up at the gaping hole in the roof. A few birds, their dark shadows masking over Kallen's face, sat and watched, the carrion birds smiling with a disturbing arc. The beady black eyes darted around, not putting their complete attention on anything. Picking up a rock, the red-head threw it at one of the birds, the small fist-sized rubble slamming into the wooden perch. The birds squawked, their voices filled with incredible hatred. Small fragments of wood fell to the ground, dust rising up into the air. She shook herself off, brushing the debris from her shoulders. In the sky, only a fraction of the sun remained; Kallen looked towards the glass, hoping that a small shard of light would light the room, but none did.

"It's not very fun without someone to talk to," she said to the sleeping figure. He edged around above the small patch of grass he slept on, his stiff shirt playing hell with him. She looked at his face, looking around for something to help him. Grabbing her small knife, she opened up the shirt, tearing the flimsy material without much trouble. Already, the wounds had healed, leaving perfectly circular splatters of dried blood around warped skin, the pale discoloration slowly fading as well. It was alien, almost happening directly before her eyes. She looked away, turning to the silence that seemed to follow her. "But, what could we even talk about, anyway? I haven't seen you in what…? A year? It only takes so long to change a person, and considering what you were then, what could you be now?" She moved most of the bloody cloth, his athletic chest slightly surprising the girl. Kallen laughed, remembering the times they all spent at school, all waiting for the young boy to catch up with the rest of them, his breath more than lost by the time they caught sight. He would often double over, both arms clutching his knees as he tried to fill his fragile lungs. She sighed again, thinking. "What the hell am I doing here," she asked him, vexation in her tone. "Why must I follow you; what is my purpose for being here…?" She looked at the breathing face as she spoke, her automatically closing the gap between the two. "It's just… pathetic, isn't it?" She closed her eyes, her only a hair's breadth away from his face. Finally, she kissed him, pressing herself strongly against the sleeping boy, his eyelids quivering in confusion. Kallen let go, and a smile crossed Lelouch's face.

"What was that about," he asked, the strength returning to his voice. One eye opened, looking at the girl with interest. As he tried to lift his neck up, he found a sharp pain shoot itself up his arm. Almost instantly after, Lelouch grabbed it, writhing in pain as he shook back and forth, Kallen looking at him as if he were possessed. For the first time, she noticed the "V" shape appear on his forehead, the shape turning a brilliant rouge as if it were burning into his skull. Another one was on his arm, the color more vibrant than the one on his head.

"Lelouch," she shouted at him, but the words were slurred and hellish, banging against his skull with a blunt instrument. And after an eternity of the pulsating pain, he blacked out, falling into the abyss that seemed to hold every freedom above him, watching and waiting for him to cry out against it, to feel insignificant again as he tried to acclimate to him new self. Kallen watched as he seized back and forth, screaming out, his words so rapid they sounded like another tongue. She didn't know how to react, only to grab him and try and hold him still, but as he hand reached for his arm, she felt the heat emanating from the small "V", the pain coursing into her as she tried to hold on. And, suddenly, she found herself in another world, one in which they both stood upon golden steps, looking up at two worlds and the fleet of people watching both.

"No," Lelouch said, his face fraught with horror. She looked over at the boy, his image slowly converting to that of the figures all looking out; Kallen took a step backward, trying to avert away from whatever it was she saw. However, neither her feet nor eyes would listen to what her brain was screaming.

* * *

**You know the drill... Thanks for reading XD -AMP**


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